


Can You Forgive A Broken Bond?

by HorrorJunkie



Category: Best Song Ever - One Direction (Music Video), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Airplane Crash, Alpha Edward, Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam, Alpha Marcel, Alpha Zayn, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Because I'm a whore for the Styles triplets, Blow Jobs, Bottom Louis, Character Death, Detective Zayn, Did I mention I'm a whore for the Styles triplets?, Double Penetration, EVEN MORE SEX, Hospitalization, Ireland, Kinky sex, Lots of Sex, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Mpreg Louis, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, PTSD, Rimming, Sex, Shady Family business, Silent Treatment, Threesomes, Trauma, Triplets, attempted forced bonding, broken bonds, fake death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:49:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorrorJunkie/pseuds/HorrorJunkie
Summary: Growing up, Harry, Edward and Marcel had always assumed they’d mate and bond with each other and then find an omega to complete them when they came of age. Unfortunately, things don't always happen as planned. Marcel can't take the pressure so he takes an extreme route to escape the life being forced on him. Breaking the bond with his brothers and faking his death, he escapes for a new life. It's there that he meets the person he knows he can't live without. A sharp tongued blue eyed omega who takes pleasure in tormenting and teasing his new friend.Marcel finally has the life and love he's always wanted but the past has a nasty way of returning. With everything he loves at risk, he's forced to face his past and turn to the two people who can help him protect his love but who believe he's dead.For Louis, Harry and Edward, learning the truth and the consequences of Marcel's actions will send them reeling for Marcel isn't the person they thought they knew. The secrets he holds can destroy them all.
Relationships: Marcel Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Marcel/Edward Styles/Harry Styles, Marcel/Edward Styles/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 165
Kudos: 244
Collections: styles triplets





	1. The First Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> Clearly I'm a complete whore for the Styles triplets and the a/b/o dynamic. I can't help it. I've had this story simmering for a few weeks now but finally sat down yesterday to write it. I gave it a twist by utilizing the most underrated Styles (Marcel) and making him the main protagonist of this story. I hope you like it!

Growing up, Harry, Edward and Marcel had always assumed they’d mate and bond with each other and then find an omega to complete them when they came of age. It was a fairly common practice among multiples to mate and share an omega though as times progressed, most would hold off mating until they were established and able to provide for and support an omega and the family they produced. 

When the triplets hit the age of 18, their parents began to hint that maybe it was time they began the search for an omega. Of course they were still young and had time but the sooner they started looking, the sooner they could settle down. The pressure only increased when they turned 19 and then it got worse when they hit 20. None of them could understand why their parents were urging them, practically trying to force them to settle down when they were still so young. It became so that Sunday dinners were a nightmare to survive. Every Sunday, their parents would have an omega guest over. Each one was interesting. They were the sons or daughters of business associates of their parents. Wealthy, well-connected, attractive. Each omega would greatly increase the family’s standing in society and in the cases of a few well-connected omegas, titles would be passed to their mates and their future children.

The pressure was relentless and it wasn’t long before Edward and Harry started to slowly cave to their parents' demands. They were more attentive to the omegas during the forced dinners, they went out on dates with some of them and before long, they started discussing the ones that they liked best as they tried to narrow down the list to something more manageable. 

They got along well with a few of them and though there was no love connection, they could easily settle and find happiness and build a family. Edward was pragmatic about the whole thing and Harry kept himself busy and thought of the family their chosen omega would give them. It seemed that the plans of Mr. and Mrs. Styles were coming to fruition except for one small complication.

Marcel.

He was adamantly against being forced to bond with any omega just to appease his parents and brothers. He hated that they were being pressured and practically coerced into a mating not of his own choosing. Whereas he once had a wonderful open relationship with his parents and him and his brothers were inseparable, more and more he found himself alone, making excuses to not come home from university to avoid seeing all of them. He would ignore their calls and would only text once in a while when left with no choice.

He knew his silence and attitude was hurting Edward and Harry but he couldn’t understand why they too were suddenly fine with this bullshit plan of their parents. Every single time they tried to discuss it, their conversations ended in arguments, accusations and Marcel would storm off, unable to even look at his brothers. The bond they’d always shared was weakening and he knew it was because of him. His refusal to settle just like they were, the constant arguing, the pressure, the guilt trips. It was becoming too much for Marcel. 

As the holidays approached and Halloween was looming, Marcel found himself at his parents once again for yet another dreaded Sunday dinner. As expected, his brothers were entertaining an omega he’d met once before the previous month as well as the people he could only assume were her parents and siblings. Her name was Adi? Ari? He couldn’t remember and truth be told, he didn’t care. Just another omega he’d have to endure them shoving down his throat. He didn’t bother saying hello or greeting any of them. He simply walked right in, poured himself a drink and left the room leaving his brothers and parents to apologize for his rudeness. Edward and Harry found him outside on the patio listlessly swirling his drink, shoulders tense as he waits for the inevitable argument. It doesn’t take long for them to descend on him.

“Really Marcel? Would it fucking kill you to at least pretend to be civil?”

“Yes Edward, it would. I refuse to play into this fucking charade with you. You may have fallen into whatever trap our parents have led you into but I refuse to follow like a mindless sheep. I cannot and will not be forced into mating before I’m ready and I’ll be damned if it’s to someone they picked for me.”

Harry tries to placate his two stubborn and hot headed brothers. Being the youngest, he often found himself at odds with both of them. Edward was the one often called the serious brother. Marcel was the shy one. He himself was the balance in between, the carefree more relaxed brother. What people didn’t know is that despite the extremes in their personalities and temperaments, Marcel was the only one not afraid to stand up to Edward. Once Marcel got something in his head, he would not back down. Unfortunately, Edward was just as stubborn as Marcel and this resulted in them often fighting and arguing, sometimes coming to blows just because there was never any middle ground between them. Harry was the only person that could keep them calm when their tempers flared. This evening was no exception. 

“Marcel, whatever the hell is going on in your head needs to fuck off. If you’d just get over yourself and listened, you’d see that this is what’s best. I admit that none of us were remotely prepared for this but we’ve had time to adjust and Harry and I agree that it’s for the best. Ariana is perfect for us. She was raised in a traditional home and has the qualities we all like in an omega.”

“Oh really Edward? Enlighten me. What qualities does she have that I like because last I checked, neither of you ever bloody well took the time to ask me what I wanted. Other than the conversations we had as teenagers, not once has either of you asked me what I wanted in an omega.”

For once, Edward is struck silent at the truth of Marcel’s words. Even Harry shifts awkwardly and looks down, his cheeks turning red as he realizes that for the past year, while he and Edward discussed omega qualities, neither of them ever included Marcel simply because they didn’t think he’d care.

“That’s right. Neither of you know a goddamn thing about me or my preferences but you expect me to follow you blindly into mating with her? Mate with her if you like but leave me out of it.”

Harry gasps in shock at Marcel’s words. Not once in the past few years had they ever discussed the possibility of them not mating together. It had always been a given. They’d just known it would be all three of them with the same mate or it just wasn’t going to happen. With his words, Marcel had thrown the gauntlet at their feet. His own form of an ultimatum. They either are with him or they’re not. Simple as that. 

“You can’t be serious Marcel. You’re asking Harry and I to give this up? To defy our parents, be possibly cut off, banished and for what? Your pride over not getting to choose your own mate? I hate to break it to you little brother but you had your chance. We didn’t walk into this blindly like you think we did. Harry and I took the time to meet and know the omegas. We selected Ariana and she will be our mate.”

“Just give her a chance Marcel. Please? Try. That’s all we’re asking you to do. For us? For me?”

Marcel can’t even look at Edward but Harry’s pleas do him in. He nods and sighs as Harry envelopes him in a tight hug. He can’t help but feel this is all wrong. None of this feels right. He couldn’t understand it but his instincts kept screaming at him that something was wrong and he failed to understand why his brother’s weren’t feeling the same thing. They were triplets for god's sake. They always knew what the other was feeling and yet now, Edward and Harry were perfectly content to go along and live the life their parents wanted for them while he was left trudging his own path despite their disapproval and the recriminations of his brothers. He told them once about his deep feelings of dread, the nightmares and the sleepless nights he was enduring but now, he kept silent. When he’d mentioned it to them, his parents and his brothers had accused him of making it up, using stress from school as an excuse not to go along with their plans to bond and mate. He didn’t know how to make them understand and believe that it had nothing to do with school but rather everything to do with this bizarre plan to get them mated off so soon.

He lets Harry walk him back inside where he nods at the omega and murmurs a hello to his parents, He just wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be civil or socialize. He’d fall back on his usual silent manner and hope this dinner would end soon so he could leave and return to his flat near the university. 

To an outsider, dinner would appear to be a pleasant affair as his parents, Harry and Edward all spoke to Ariana and would often list her wonderful attributes to Marcel who would force a smile on his face but say nothing. She too tried to engage him in conversation but gave up after her friendly attempts resulted in monosyllabic answers.

“So Marcel, I hear you attend King’s College.”

“Yes.”

“What field are you studying?”

“War Studies and International Relations.”

“That’s an interesting degree. What do you plan on doing with it?”

“Don’t know yet.”

Harry had finally interrupted in an attempt to make his sullen brother look not so dull and uninteresting.

“Don’t let him fool you. He has career ambitions to go into politics or something like that. He can be a diplomat, a lobbyist or work for secret intelligence with a brain like his and a degree like that.”

Marcel had not reacted to her sounds of interest nor to Harry’s attempts to talk to him. In fact, his mind was already on the drive to his flat and any pending readings and assignments left to do before class tomorrow. He’s jolted abruptly from his own thoughts at the sound of his father’s voice reprimanding him for tuning them out.

“I apologize father. You were saying?”

Clearing his throat, their father shoots him a glare before he raises his glass of champagne, a glass Marcel had not even noticed being poured for him or anyone else, so deep in his own thoughts was he. 

“As I was saying, I’d like to extend a toast to the Grande family for graciously allowing my sons to court their daughter and it pleases me to no end to finally be able to say that my sons have asked Ariana to settle down and bond with them and as my sons told me earlier, she has accepted.”

As applause rang out at the table, all Marcel can feel is shock and betrayal. Neither Harry nor Edward look him in the eye as they’re given hugs and kisses by her family. His mind is a whirlwind of emotions as he accepts their congratulations, his eyes trying to find those of his brothers as they stubbornly refuse to look at him.

“It was decided that they will bond as soon as my sons turn 21. Ladies, you have four months to plan the finest bonding ceremony London has seen in years.”

As the talk turns to this ceremony, Marcel calmly wipes his mouth with his napkin and stands up. He needs to leave. He needs to get out. 

“Please excuse my abrupt departure. I still have a paper to write for class tomorrow and the drive back to university takes the better part of an hour. It was a pleasure to see everyone. Harry, Edward, can you walk me out to my car please? I’d like a word.”

Phrased that way, his parents and hers were appeased at the studious brother and his bright future. Her family rather liked the idea of their daughter bonding into a family where one son would be a politician of some sort, another a businessman and the third was at culinary school.

Faced with no choice but to follow, Edward and Harry braced themselves for Marcel’s anger and his lashing out at them. What they didn’t expect was the broken look on Marcel’s face as he reached his car. He didn’t scream or yell or lash out like they expected. He simply unlocked his car and opened the door. He stares at the keys in his hand before he finally turns to look at them and speaks quietly.

“I never thought the day would come when my own brothers would betray me this way but here we are. I have never once asked either of you for anything until now. I asked you two over and over to not go through with this but you refused to listen to me. You wouldn’t acknowledge what I’ve had to say about this. You both went behind my back and agreed to something you knew I was against. Now what? I have no choice in this thanks to you both. If this is what you truly want, I won’t stop it from happening but as of now, our bond is broken. We are brothers and will be mates in name only. Goodbye Edward, Harry.”

“What do you mean broken? Marcel? Stay. Talk to us. Please? Don’t go!”

Edward’s frozen in shock as Harry pleads with Marcel but his words are wasted. Just as they refused to listen to their brother for months, Marcel will no longer listen to them either. He simply gets in his car and drives away. Turning to Edward, Harry has tears in his eyes as he struggles to accept what just happened. 

“Edward? Did he just… Did he imply he was breaking our bond?”

Edward nods, unsure of what to do. He doesn’t believe Marcel would actually go through with it. To break a bond was a singularly painful thing to do. 

“He just needs time Harry. He needs time to accept all this. He will come around. I promise. Come on. If we stay out here any longer, they’ll start to ask questions.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The weeks passed. Weeks of silence from Marcel towards his brothers. They would call, text, email and he ignored them all. The only time he responded to anyone was when his mother would reach out to ask his opinion on details for the ceremony. He would give her the standard robotic responses about trusting the taste and judgement of the women and if they liked it, he would too. He knew Harry and Edward had stopped by his flat but he’d taken the precautions of changing all the locks so they couldn’t get in. He hated that they weren’t speaking but he didn’t know what else he could say to them to get them to understand. His nightmares were getting worse, the feeling of dread was rapidly becoming a feeling of impending doom. The holidays came and went and he did not attend any of the parties or family celebrations. His parents believed it was because of the overwhelming coursework of his studies but Edward and Harry knew the truth. Marcel wanted nothing to do with them. 

Though their bond was still intact, they could feel it weakening with the passage of time and were afraid of the moment when Marcel would cut ties with them altogether. There were days when they could not feel Marcel. As triplets, their bond was a complicated one. They could sense each other’s emotions sometimes and draw on the strength of the other if needed but lately it felt as if Marcel was deliberately keeping his emotions suppressed. His end of the bond was tenuous at best. He was distancing himself from them and they didn’t like it but didn’t know how to fix it. 

Two weeks before their birthday, Marcel goes to the tailor his mom had instructed him to see in regards to the fitting of their suits. This would be the first time he’d see his brothers since October. Stepping into the shop, he’s led to the back room where he sees Harry and Edward and to his relief, the men from Ari’s family. It’s a relief to see them because having them there provided a buffer between him and his brothers, He wouldn’t have to talk to them much. The men all knew he was an introvert so they didn’t take his silence as him being rude. It’s just the way he was. Except for her brother Frank. He would stare at Marcel as if contemplating something that had to do with him. It made him uncomfortable but he didn’t want to draw more attention to himself so he stayed quiet and allowed the tailor to take his measurements. Harry and Edward shared looks of concern when they saw Marcel. It was obvious he’d lost weight and the bags under his eyes alluded to many sleepless nights. They hurt because had their bond been stronger, they’d have known something wasn’t right with Marcel. He’d deliberately suppressed their bond so they were left in the dark about what was going on with him. As soon as his measurements are taken, he bids a polite goodbye to everyone and rushes out, eager to just get away from everyone.

“Marcel! Wait!”

He sighs, knowing he can’t escape Harry. Turning around, he sees both his brothers catching up to him. He remains silent as the three stand awkwardly before Harry breaks the silence between them.

“Can we talk?”

“We have nothing to say.”

Marcel turns and walks away from them, ignoring Harry’s call to him. He means what he says. He really has nothing else to say to them after everything that happened between them.

Returning to his flat, he contemplates ordering himself dinner when there’s a knock on his door. Resigned to being bothered by his brothers, he goes to open it and is surprised when he sees Ari’s brother Frank standing before him. The man lets himself in and closes the door, pressing his fingers to his lips to keep Marcel silent. Pulling a piece of paper from his jacket, he hands it to Marcel who reads it, his eyebrows shooting up in shock.

Your place is bugged. I know because I’m the one who did it. If you want to get out of this arrangement, you’re going to have to trust me. Follow my lead.

Marcel stays quiet, confused as to what the hell is going on.

“I like your place future brother-in-law. I’ve had dinner with both your brothers but you’re always so busy with school. Are you free for dinner? I know a great little Italian place not too far from here. We’re going to be family soon. Get a jacket and let’s go eat.”

His words sound friendly but the look on his face is deadly serious. He’s still unsure but following his instincts has not steered Marcel wrong. 

“Alright. I could eat. Stress and the upcoming ceremony, I haven’t been eating as much as I should.”

He gets his jacket and follows Frank out, more curious than ever as to what the hell is going on. They leave his building but he stays quiet as he walks alongside Frank who engages him in random talk about school, the weather and his own job as a security expert for his father’s company. When they reach the restaurant, Frank surprises Marcel by going to a car and gesturing for Marcel to enter. As he does, they drive away with Frank easily moving into traffic, his eyes constantly looking around to the other cars on the road.

“Listen to me carefully Marcel. This match can’t happen. My sister wants out as much as you do. My sister has an alpha.”

“Wait. WHAT? She has an alpha? Then why the hell are my brothers and I going to bond with her in 2 weeks?”

“Much like you and your brothers, my parents coerced her into this match. Let’s face it Marcel. Both our families deal in some shady fucking business. Sure they have their respectable fronts but we both know that not everything they do is legal and that the people they associate with in the shadows are people they’d never acknowledge in public. Joining both our families would give them more power, legitimacy and control over other, let’s call them territories, in the UK.”

“Yeah…”

He’s not stupid. He’d always known that some of his parents businesses blurred the line between legal and shady. Why else would they have several accounts in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland? Still, he didn’t think it was as bad as Frank was making it out to be. Not to mention this news about an alpha.

“My parents had some difficulty a few years ago and they’ve been working on rebuilding their reputation and the business. It turns out my father had some leverage against yours and the only way to keep things buried in the closet so to speak was to get your three to join our family. That’s why your parents were relentless about mating you three off.”

At Marcel’s look of incredulity, Frank snorted.

“Don’t be naïve Marcel. Come on. What parent tries to force their 15 year old daughter and 18 year old sons to consider bonding? All those omegas you were introduced to? A front so that it looked like you were actively seeking. The ultimate plan was to have my sister be the one you chose. Everything you know about her is false. She was taught to know you three so that her responses to your questions about her would match your interests. You don’t know how many nights I had to sit with her as she cried because she hated this fucking charade she was forced to endure. Then about a year ago, something happened that changed all of this. My sister met her alpha. They swore to find a way to get her out of this mess and bond when she turned 18 but unfortunately, my parents decided to match her to you. Some people don’t believe in soulmates but one look at Ari and Danny together and you just know. Some people were meant to be. I love my sister and have spend many a night holding her as she cries over the thought of never seeing her soulmate again because our parents are selfish fucking pricks who only think of money and power and don’t see the happiness of their children as priority. I vowed to get my sister out of this mess but I need your help”

“My help? How can I help? I’m as much a victim of this circumstance as she is. As we all are.”

“I have a plan. Hear me out yeah? Please. I can get you both out of this and at the very least buy you time before your parents even think of trying to match you again and by then, I’m sure you and your brothers can get out of it.”

“Ok...what’s the plan?”

Marcel listens, his face mirroring shock as Frank explains in detail what he’s come up with. To say he feels nervous about this is an understatement. It sounds crazy. Like something straight out of a movie but he can’t deny that if it worked, Ari would be free to be with Danny and he’d be free as would his brothers be.

“Alright. When would we do this?”

“There’s only two weeks left so maybe this weekend? Ari has not spent any time with you. We can say that you’re trying to make it up to her so you both have a reason and an excuse to be out together. We execute it then. Sunday works.”

As they talk, they finally do pull into a restaurant where they’re seated and continue their discussion, Marcel listening to the details of Frank’s plan. He asks questions and they hammer out Marcel’s part of the plan. He tries hard not to think of how this is going to affect his brothers.

As Sunday rolls around, he looks at the texts from his mom about how pleased she is he finally came around and his brothers thanking him for making the effort. He ignores the twinges of guilt he feels and strengthens his resolve to help Frank with the plan. 

He takes Ari to a champagne brunch where though they’re both tense and nervous, they manage to talk and find they have much in common. By the end of their brunch, he finds that he rather likes her but there’s no spark between them that would have made for a good mating. She’d had a few glasses of mimosas and champagne and was being a little loud, as per the plan. Omega’s were known to have lower thresholds for alcohol so their drinking was nowhere near what an alpha’s drinking could be. She made it a point to ask him, demanding he let her drive his car so that others could see and hear. Knowing the plan, he finally grudgingly hands her the keys causing her to squeal in delight. Driving away, he realizes her brother was right. She’s a shitty driver but that just helps to sell the plan. As they cruise away from the main street and the city, her bubbly persona drops and her face sets in serious lines.

“Are you ready for this Marcel?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

“Yes.”

They soon reach the destination where Frank had told them to meet. Sure enough, he’s there waiting for them along with Danny. Marcel watches with a smile as Ari stops the car and races to Danny, happiness evident in her movements and smile. As he reaches them, she surprises him by giving him a hug and then a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you Marcel. Thank you. I’ll never forget this.”

She then turns to her brother and gives him a longer hug, tears streaming down her face as she knows the likelihood of seeing him again are almost non-existent. As they finally break apart, she takes a large pair of scissors out of her purse and immediately cuts her long ponytail, the change immediately noticeable. She was known for her long luscious hair and now she had what would be a chin length bob. All the men turn around respectfully as she gestures for them to do so and she wastes no time in changing out of her pretty pink day dress and into a pair of jeans, a shirt and baggy sweatshirt. A cute beanie completes her ensemble and she now looks like any other 18 year old girl on holiday. She looks nothing like the elegant debutante Marcel first met. She hands her purse and cell phone to Frank and walks away with nothing from her old life except her alpha. Marcel waves goodbye as she gets into a car with Danny, certain he will never see her again.

“Now it’s time for part 2. Are you ready?”

Marcel nods, knowing it was now or never. Marcel gets in one car and Frank in the other, thankful this particular stretch of road is practically deserted due to the winding roads and steep cliffs. Not many ventured here especially on rainy or foggy days. It was too dangerous which made it perfect for them. They drive in tandem until Marcel gets the signal from Frank. He slows down and puts the car in idle as he waits for Frank. Together, they leave his jacket and hers in the front seats of the car. Clenching his jaw, Marcel makes a fist and punches the glass from the inside of the car on the passenger seat as if he was trying to break it. The glass cracks and cuts him but he’s satisfied that there will be proof of the accident. Frank leaves a few stray hairs of Ari’s in the car, her shoes and takes out a small bottle. Marcel looks at it curiously and grimaces as he realizes it’s blood.

“I made her do it. They may not find a body but between her clothes, her hair and a little blood, there shouldn’t be an inquest. I’ll make sure of it.”

Nodding, Marcel makes a fist again and hits the glass until it breaks, ensuring his own blood is now smeared in the car. He then smashes his phone on the ground before tossing the broken phone on the floor of the car. Stepping out and closing the door, they both move to the back and slowly push the car to the edge of the cliff. Without regret, they watch it tumble down the cliff unforgivingly, pleased when it hits the rocks and catches fire before it rolls into the water. Silently, they walk back to the car, Marcel ignoring the throbbing of his fist knowing it will heal quickly anyway. They drive away for a bit before Frank takes out a burner phone and calls the local constable to report an accident and a car going off a cliff. He hangs up quickly and instructs Marcel to break the phone then toss the pieces out the window one at a time.

They drive, slowing when they see emergency vehicles heading towards where the accident allegedly took place. They keep driving, Marcel doing exactly what Ari herself had done. His long brown curls were now gone and left in its place was a short do with just a hint of a wave. They soon reach a small village but stop on the outskirts of it where Frank parks next to another unassuming empty car. Both men move quickly. Time is of the essence now. Marcel changes into regular jeans and a sweater and worn tennis shoes. Frank hands him a duffel bag and a large envelope.

“Are you sure about this Marcel?”

The original plan had been to fake Ari’s death as the driver and Marcel would “survive” but only a few days prior, Marcel had changed his mind. Without explanation, he arranged to fake his own death. He tried hard not to think of how devastated his brothers would be but he also knew that if he stayed with his family, he’d be lucky to get a year reprieve before the suffocating existence he had lived up until now would return. He just couldn’t do it anymore. He was being driven mad and knew that his would be his only way out.

“I’m sure.”

Nodding, Frank gives final instructions to Marcel.

“The duffel contains a jacket for the weather, two more jeans, a few shirts and some boxers. Nothing fancy. There’s a new cell phone in there for you, a charger for it and a car charger. The number is programmed already with only me as a contact. I’m listed as Pizza Union. Do not under any circumstances try to contact anyone you’ve ever known. Do not contact me unless it is an absolute emergency. Same goes for me. I won’t contact you unless it’s an emergency. This phone is prepaid for 6 months and after that, find a local shop and pay for more time. It’s important you keep this number in case I need to reach you. Your new ID, passport and documents are in the envelope along with a couple thousand in cash and a debit card with a bit more. That should be enough to get you set up in whatever new life you find. There are keys to your new car in there as well. It has a full tank already so you should be good to go for a bit. Do not return to London or any city where your family has homes or friends. You can’t return to finish your degree and I would advise against finding work in anything that can be connected to you. The best lies are ones that are attached to the truth. Your new name is Marcel Selley. Your initials, own first name and your mother’s maiden name. You were born in Manchester. If anyone asks you, try to keep your story as vague as possible. People trip themselves up when they give themselves elaborate backgrounds. Stick close to the truth as much as possible.”

There’s not much else to say as both men stand for a minute. Marcel finally envelopes Frank in a hug, words alone can’t express his gratitude for all he’s done for him. It doesn’t matter. Frank knows.

“Go on then Marcel. I need to get back home. It’s important I’m there when…”

“Yeah. You need to be there and I should go.”

“Good luck Marcel Selley.”

“Thanks Frank. For everything.”

Both men get into their respective cars and drive away. Marcel doesn’t allow himself to think or to feel. He just keeps driving west. He only stops to get a quick meal and put more petrol in his car and he keeps driving. He only finally stops when he reaches Holyhead. It’s late so he checks into a small local B&B and keeps to himself. He settles in for the night and though his sleep is restless, no nightmares plague him that night. When he wakes, he showers and changes quickly, eager to get his day started. The ferry would start boarding that morning and he wanted to be sure he was on it. He goes downstairs to the breakfast the proprietors set out and he enjoys a full English with tea. He can hear the sounds coming from the kitchen and the television someone left on in the other room. He’s almost finished when a local news report catches his attention.

“It’s been confirmed that the two victims of yesterday’s accident off Hardknott Pass were Miss Ariana Grande and Marcel Styles. Witnesses say that the rain and fog may have played into their untimely demise. Details are scarce but it appears that the car suddenly swerved and skidded off the road and off the cliff and into the ocean. Efforts to send diving teams to recover the remains are hampered by the weather. The children of affluent business partners Des Styles and Edward Butera, they were due to be bonded this coming weekend along with Marcel’s twin brothers. Sources close to the families have stated that they are shocked by the tragic events and only wish to mourn in privacy for their lost loved ones.”

Marcel watches as hordes of press catch glimpses of her family as they rush to their estate but he barely hangs on to his composure as the shots go to ones they managed to get of Edward and Harry racing out of their universities with phones attached to their ears. Harry’s expression tears at him for even in those shots he can see the devastation clear across his brothers face. He can’t watch anymore. He quickly goes to settle his bill, fighting the urge to open the bond between him and his brothers just so they can know he’s alive. He leaves and goes to his car, racing to reach the port where he pays for a one way ticket. Time passes by slowly as he moves his car to the queue and finally drives onto the ferry where directed. Once he’s parked, he waits patiently as others board before they finally cast off. 

He doesn’t look back. There’s no point as far as he’s concerned. His past is best left behind and as much as his heart is broken for what he’s putting his brothers through, the further they leave the UK behind, the more he can finally breathe. The ferry ride takes slightly over five hours but he stays sitting inside his car for almost four of them. He finally exits his car to sit on the hood and just watch the ocean for the final hour. His excitement starts to build as he spots land in the distance. It’s a bittersweet feeling. He knows what he’s left behind but he has to admit he is looking forward to what the future holds.

He allows a few tears to escape as he finally says goodbye to his life in the UK and begins to prepare for his new life in Ireland.  
  



	2. Apologies & Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Marcel meets Louis but it doesn't go as expected.  
> Harry and Edward are mourning but Edward is feeling the guilt as he begins to learn that perhaps Marcel was onto something before his apparent death.

The only sounds in the room are those of the crackling fire and the occasional hiccup from Harry as he sits on the floor, one hand on Edward’s leg and the other on the bottle of Scotch they’re sharing. They didn’t bother to get glasses. They just didn’t care. Both were still in their black slacks though both had removed their suit jackets and ties once they’d arrived back home. 

They’d buried Marcel earlier that day.

On the day before their birthday.

It was their parent’s idea to get the service done and over with so quickly. Though they had argued, they couldn’t deny that the sooner it was done, the sooner the damn press would find some other news story to occupy their time and leave them alone so they could grieve privately and away from the harsh spotlight that the news was generating about them right now. Though divers had been unable to recover the remains of Ari and Marcel, a private service was held without coffins. Just tributes and their names eternally engraved on headstones, their final resting place being somewhere in the unforgiving ocean. The car had finally been extracted from the depths of where it had plummeted. Marcel’s jacket and phone had been found inside along with Ari’s purse. Harry had so many questions but he couldn’t bring himself to ask them. Had Marcel and Ari died on impact? The car had apparently caught fire for a brief moment. Had they been burned alive? Drowned? He kept torturing himself with the thought that his brother had suffered. There was no way around it. Marcel and Ari had suffered before they died and that kept hurting him to think of it. Edward had retreated further into himself, only speaking to Harry and even then it was only when necessary. They’d never had to deal with grief before but they’d also never expected they’d experience it so cruelly. To have lost their triplet suddenly was a blow. Both of them experienced so much guilt knowing how they’d treated Marcel, the harsh words between them and the knowledge that their relationship had been so broken. They had assumed they’d have time after the mating to repair their relationship and things would get back to normal but now they’d never have the chance. A part of him was also angry at Ariana. He knew it wasn’t rational and it wasn’t fair to hold this much anger towards her because she was the one behind the wheel. The investigator’s had found she had been drinking prior to the accident and had caused quite the scene at the restaurant, demanding to drive the car and Marcel had apparently given in. Her drinking and poor weather conditions had all played into the accident that had taken away a part of their hearts. Harry hands the bottle back to Edward who continues to stare blindly at the fire, his thoughts elsewhere. Edward himself is in a state unlike anything Harry has ever seen. He had not cried or yelled or displayed any outward signs of grief. Their parents had seemingly collapsed into themselves when they’d received word. Their father drank away his pain and their mother slept courtesy of the endless amount of pills the doctor prescribed for her newfound anxiety and depression. Harry cried, was angry and then he’d cry some more but not Edward. He kept busy, taking on the role he was not meant to receive until their father retired. He kept busy, often driving himself into a state of exhaustion before he’d collapse and sleep. That was the only time he slept. If it weren’t for Harry, he wouldn’t eat either.

Each one of them suffering in their own way, unable to express or reach out to the other. None of them realized just how fragile their familial bond was until they’d lost Marcel. With him gone, it was as if all their pretenses and illusions were stripped away and they were being forced to see each other for the first time. They were finally becoming aware and seeing and trying desperately to avoid reality. None of them wanted to face the harsh truth and reality that was the Styles family. For months Marcel had tried to communicate, had tried desperately to reach out to them but in true Styles fashion, they’d ignored him and pretended whatever was bothering him was of little consequence. That it would be resolved and go away. 

Except it didn’t.

Whatever had been weighing on Marcel had only gotten worse and now it was too late to reach out, to actually listen to him and talk to him. Knowing that they’d pushed and pushed Marcel leading him to finally breaking down and giving in was killing them. If they’d just left him alone, he’d still be here with them. If they’d just listened to Marcel, perhaps they’d have found a way to reach a compromise and make everyone happy.

They would have to live with their guilt and decisions for the rest of their lives. They somehow had to find a way to move on without Marcel. Just thinking of doing that made Harry keen before dropping his head onto the floor, his shoulders shaking with the force of his cries. He feels arms go around him, Edward sitting beside him as he continues to stare into the fire while he too mourns the loss of a third of his heart.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Marcel had driven and enjoyed exploring Ireland. He knew eventually he’d have to settle somewhere but he had some time. He was living very frugally, sometimes sleeping in his car to save money. He’d stopped at a small outlet and purchased a heavy blanket and a few more items for his journey. Perhaps he’d settle in Ireland or maybe he’d make his way to Scotland. He wasn’t sure just yet but for now he was content to just drive. He thought about maybe settling in Belfast, Cork or even Waterford but dismissed those ideas almost as soon as they formed. He didn’t want to take a chance on being in a big city. His family always had friends in big cities. He needed a smaller town to disappear into. Knowing they were cultural snobs and somewhat elitist, he knew they’d never step foot in a small town or village. No sooner did he have that idea than he saw a sign welcoming him to a town called Mullingar. It was certainly scenic and he saw already that the town boasted charm and was large enough for someone like him to disappear but also small enough for him to maybe consider staying for a while. His thoughts settled, he finally listens to his growling stomach and decides to treat himself. He’d find a pub and a small Bed and Breakfast or hotel to stay the night in. Maybe he’d stay a few days and check things out. See how he felt about staying and settling here. It seemed luck was on his side. He came across a place called the Mullingar B & B so he stopped and parked his car. He takes a moment to stretch his legs before putting on his beanie and glasses. Going inside, he’s happy to find that they do in fact have a single room available. He takes it without question and arranges to stay for a week. It’s longer than he had planned but again, his instincts were telling him to stay here. It also didn’t hurt that because it was the off season, the room was ridiculously cheap and staying a week would not cost him much money. He returns to the car to get his belongings and returns to his room. A knock on the door alerts him to the proprietor handing him pamphlets of things to do if he’s interested. As she turns to leave, he remembers he needs to eat and inquires about local restaurants.

“I’m sorry to bother you but is there a pub or restaurant nearby where I can have an early dinner or late lunch?”

“Of course dear. It will take mere minutes to walk if you’re interested. There’s a pub nearby, Horan’s. They serve good food at reasonable prices. You can’t go wrong.”

Thanking her, he puts his jacket back on and walks in the direction of the pub. It’s cold but he’s grateful it’s not snowing. That would have made his travels infinitely worse. He finds the pub easy enough and is pleased to see it’s a good size family run establishment. He preferred those over the large ones where they’re run by corporations. Entering the pub, he enjoys the slight smell of smoke, the scent of food and beer in the room. It was a pleasant and not overwhelming smell as he looked around to see only a few people scattered around. He wonders if they’re locals or tourists like him.

“Are you wanting a table then? Or do you prefer to sit at the bar?”

Looking around, Marcel sees a friendly faced blonde omega with kind blue eyes holding a menu in his hand.

“Oh...um...the bar is fine.”

Leading the way, the blonde gestures for Marcel to sit and hands him the menu.

“If food is what you’re wanting, I recommend the stew today.”

Marcel gives the man a small smile and nods as he puts the menu down. 

“The stew then please and a glass of Harp.”

“No Guinness for you today? I’m disappointed English. I’m Niall by the way.”

“Oh. Pleased to meet you Niall.”

There’s a beat of silence before Niall laughs again.

“Do you have a name there mate or do you want to be called English?”

“Oh. Marcel. Sorry. My mind drifted.”

“Don’t worry about it. Let me get you your drink.”

Niall moves to a room in the back to place Marcel’s order before he returns to the pub to pour Marcel his drink. He’s just about finished when there’s a clatter coming from the kitchen and then a shout.

“Oi! I’m off the clock you knothead! Serve your own damn food.”

Cursing ensues as Niall shakes his head and Marcel looks startled.

“That’s just me mate Louis and me brother Greg. They have a love/hate relationship. Louis loves to sass Greg or pretty much any alpha he comes across. Don’t take it personally. That’s just how he is.”

Marcel is curious but it goes silent so he enjoys the beer Niall serves him.

Niall goes to the back to check on Marcel’s order and finds Louis sitting on a stool eating a piece of soda bread and Greg standing opposite him with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. The bowl of stew is sitting between them. 

“Oh for fucks sake with you two!”

Grabbing the bowl of stew and a basket of soda bread, Niall makes his way back to Marcel and places his order in front of him.

“Sorry for the wait. There was some difficulty with the two idiots in the kitchen.”

“I heard that!”

Niall laughs at Greg’s shout not caring that his brother heard him.

“Damn alpha hearing. Can’t keep anything secret from you guys can we?”

Marcel just smiles and shakes his head before starting to eat, closing his eyes in appreciation of the hot meal. Niall returns to the kitchen to find Louis alone and Greg nowhere to be seen.

“Greg went to take some of the broth to Theo to help him feel better. He’ll return shortly.”

Nodding, Niall sits across from Louis for a moment and leans in to whisper.

“You should come out. Good looking alpha all by himself. Looks like a tourist.”

Sliding off the stool, he returns to the bar to check on Marcel who is halfway done with his meal. He’s alerted to the presence of another omega when he catches his scent first. Marcel smells a heady combination of strawberries, honeysuckle and something that he thinks is chocolate but he’s not entirely sure. It’s strange. Niall had a light pleasant citrusy sweet smell but this new one caught his attention unlike anyone he’s ever come across. Looking up, he sees a small omega with bright blue eyes, brown feathery hair and a smirk that tells Marcel he’s up to something.

The omega must be Louis. 

Louis walks in and his eyes brighten when he spies the alpha hunched over his stew. He smiles widely and makes his way to him, his eyes never leaving the others.

“So Niall tells me you’re a tourist. What’s your name?”

Marcel fishmouths a little as he stares at the omega that sits right next to him.

“Cat got your tongue love? Or should I ask you something easier?”

Marcel flushes at Louis’ words as he hears Niall chastise his friend.

“Jesus Lou. Give the guy a break.”

“Ummm...it’s Marcel.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard was it?”

Marcel gives a slight shake of his head and turns back to his stew, concentrating on finishing it before he makes a bigger fool of himself than he already had. He misses the slightly concerned looks Niall and Louis exchange at his strange reaction. Louis was used to alphas flirting with him or outright trying to get in his pants but Marcel was acting as if he wanted Louis to leave him alone. As if he wanted nothing to do with him. 

“So what brings you here to Mullingar?”

Marcel pauses with his stew spoon at Louis’ question, unsure how to answer. It was strange. He wanted to begin a new life somewhere yet the minute someone spoke to him and asked him questions he knew, questions he had rehearsed and had answers to in his head, he froze. Niall shoots Louis a warning look but Louis ignores him. He’s definitely intrigued now by the shy alpha and can’t seem to stop himself from asking him questions even if he wasn’t receiving answers.

“Are you here with family? Parents? Brothers? Sisters?”

Louis and Niall are shocked when Marcel’s head snaps up, all color draining from his face at the innocent question. His hand trembles as he drops his spoon, the clatter it makes echoing in his head as he’s suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts of his brothers and his family. He needs to leave. He can’t stay. Marcel pulls money randomly out of his wallet, takes his jacket and leaves without saying a word. There’s silence between the two shocked omegas before Niall snaps at Louis.

“What the fuck was that Lou?”

“I was just asking him some questions. I don’t know what the big deal was?”

“It was obvious you made him uncomfortable Lou. Why didn’t you leave him alone?”

“What? How did I make him uncomfortable? What the hell Ni?”

“Lou. I love you but you’re an idiot. Did you not see his face when you asked about his family? Did you forget already?”

It suddenly hits Louis. He’d been so busy playing his little game that he failed to realize what Niall was trying to tell him. Marcel’s reaction was one he should have noticed and paid attention to. When he’d lost his mum, he’d reacted the same way when anyone asked him about his family. Marcel must have recently lost someone in his family and like an idiot, Lou had poked at what was obviously a very sensitive subject.

“Fuck Ni. I’m a tosser aren’t I? Now I feel like proper shit for acting like that with him.”

“You should go apologize to him Lou. It’s only right.”

“And how in the hell am I supposed to do that? I don’t know where he’s staying or even if he’s staying in town. He may have just driven off back to where he came from.”

Niall rolls his eyes at Louis’ words. Pulling out his phone, he shoots a quick text to his sister-in-law. It takes less than a minute to receive a response.

“Denise said he’s staying at the Mullingar B&B. It helps to have a sister who knows all the town gossip before it even happens.”

Both of them laugh at this though they’re both thankful for her endless knowledge of everything that goes on in the town even when it’s sometimes at their expense.

“Alright. I’ll go now and apologize to him. I’ll catch you later? We still on for movie night?”

“Of course. My turn to pick.”

Louis rolls his eyes and goes back to the kitchen to fetch his own jacket and beanie. It may not have been snowing but the cold still got to him no matter what. One of the downsides of being an omega was having a pathetic body temperature. On sudden inspiration, he quickly begins to fix something and places it in a to-go container along with a bag of crisps, a bottle of water and a bottle of Harp. He also grabs another container and scoops a large helping of the dessert Greg had been working on. He leaves the pub and quickly makes his way to the B&B, hoping he finds Marcel there. Walking in, he sees Mary the owner and asks about the Englishman traveling and staying there. She’s very discreet and offers little information but does tell Louis what room he’s staying in. He may have misled her and let her believe he was delivering Marcel’s food to him but she didn’t have to know that. He goes up the stairs and knocks on the door of the room, slightly nervous as he waits for Marcel to open. When he does, Louis’ guilt triples when he sees the red-rimmed eyes, an obvious sign that Marcel had shed tears. He holds out the bag of food and offers it to Marcel.

“I’m sorry mate. I was being a nosy shit and shouldn’t have bothered you so much. I won’t take up much of your time but I wanted to bring you an apology and welcome gift. I’m Louis and I work at the pub with Niall. If you’re ever in the mood for a drink or a meal, come on in. The first ones on me to welcome you to Ireland.”

“You’re not Irish.”

Louis blinks at the random comment Marcel made.

“I apologize and bring you gifts and all you have to say is that I’m not Irish?”

Louis can’t help but laugh. He leans against the doorway and responds to Marcel.

“I’m English. From a little town called Doncaster. I came to Ireland with Niall a couple of years ago and only meant to stay a few weeks for a break and holiday. I’ve been here coming up on three years now. Anyway, I better be off. It’s my day off and I have things to do but I’m working the closing shift tomorrow if you feel like coming to the pub. It’s off season so it’s mostly locals there this time of year. See you Marcel.”

With that, Louis walks away and leaves, a smile on his face. He knew he’d taken Marcel by surprise but he didn’t want to overwhelm the alpha despite his own instincts to cuddle him and hold him and tell him everything would be ok. He knew what grief was and how you could be fine one moment and then feel yourself drowning in it the next. If Marcel needed a friend, Louis could be that for him. If he stayed long enough. Returning to the small flat he lived in, he looks around the tiny space and is again reminded of everything he’d lost but is grateful for what he’d gained.

Back in his room, Marcel closes the door, still slightly dumbfounded at the way Louis had apologized to him, his smile and the surprise gift he’d give him. He’d returned after his near breakdown at the pub to sit and allow himself some time to grieve for his brothers. He didn’t grieve for his parents. For some reason, he just didn’t feel the need to mourn the loss of his relationship with them but it was different with Edward and Harry. He more than missed them. A part of himself was missing and would be that way for the rest of his life. The sooner he came to terms with this, the better off he’d be. He knew he’d never get over this but he would find a way to move forward. The scent coming from the bag reminds him that Louis dropped off something for him. Likely food based on the smell and he smiles as he reaches in and sees the drinks and two containers. Opening the first one, he sees two large ploughman’s sandwiches along with a bag of crisps. The second container holds a very generous helping of bread and butter pudding. Though he’s not hungry at the moment, he knows he will be later and Louis’ gift will come in very handy for dinner. He’s not feeling social and was dreading the idea of going out for dinner. With one generous move, Louis had solved that problem for him (and saved him some money). Perhaps if he was feeling better tomorrow, he’d go into the pub for dinner and a drink. If said blue-eyed omega was working, he’d be able to thank him personally. He didn’t fancy spending his birthday alone though he had no plans on revealing it was his birthday.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the privacy of his own home, Frank boots up his computer and makes sure his TOR and VPN are in place. He wants absolutely no possibility of this ever getting out. He knows the drill. He only wants a few minutes to assure himself that everyone is secure. He wasn’t planning on checking daily but perhaps once a week would give him peace of mind. Though Ari nor Marcel were aware, he had installed tracker apps on their new phones just so that he would always have a general idea of their location. Turning them on, he sees with satisfaction that Ari was somewhere in Oregon in the United States. He had no idea where the hell that was and that was a good thing. As long as she was happy in her new life with Danny, he would be happy too. Shutting hers off, he switches to Marcel and smiles when he sees he’s somewhere in Ireland. That’s good. It’s still close to the UK but from what he knows of the Styles family, they didn’t go to Ireland at all. It was too rustic for their taste. 

He shuts it off as well and sits back, a headache brewing at the base of his skull. If his family ever found out what he had done, he’d be a dead man. As long as he continued to do his work with them, no one would ever know. He’s interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Looking at the caller ID, he takes a deep breath as he prepares to lie to his father about his role on that fateful day. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tossing and turning, Edward can’t sleep. 

Ever since receiving the phone call from hell, he’d stopped sleeping well. Every time he closes his eyes he sees the broken and sad look he’d last seen on Marcel. It killed him to know that he was responsible for breaking his brother. He was responsible for this happening to him. Though Harry often told him it wasn’t his fault, Edward believed differently. He had been the one to convince Harry to give mating a chance. He was the one who practically bullied and had often fought with Marcel about it. It was all his fault and nothing anyone could ever say could make him believe differently. Each night he would stare at the moon and deliberately open himself up, hoping against hope that somehow, Marcel had survived. He knew it was illogical and downright stupid but he couldn’t stop the brief flicker of hope that maybe Marcel had lived and was wandering around somewhere with amnesia. He couldn’t admit it to his parents or to Harry so he kept that to himself but still. Each night he’d open their bond and hope and pray that Marcel would feel it and find his way back home to them.

His guilt was further compounded by what he was learning as he took on more and more of the responsibilities of their family’s business interest. Marcel kept trying to warn them that something was wrong. He’d blown off all his worries and now he had never regretted anything more in his life. Though he’d only been at the helm a few days, he was already seeing things that were not right. He had always known that perhaps they dabbled in some gray areas in business but he was quickly learning that there was more to it than that. Something was seriously wrong and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. It also worried him that perhaps Marcel knew something. Perhaps he’d seen or heard something because the more he thought about it, the more pieces of the puzzle were becoming clearer. He’d already lost one brother and he’d be damned if he’d let anything happen to Harry so he kept silent about what he was beginning to learn. This would be the only way to truly figure out what was going on underneath the sheen of money and propriety in the Styles family.

He looks at the time on his watch and sighs. It’s past midnight and nothing. He only feels Harry through their bond. Sighing, he returns to the guest room he was currently occupying with Harry. They no longer slept in the room they used to share with Marcel. It was too painful for them. Sliding into bed, he lays there listening to Harry’s soft breathing before he finally succumbs to sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Marcel wakes with a start. He feels the last lingering attempts of one of his brothers, he’s sure it’s Edward, trying to reach out with their bond. He can feel the pull so strongly but has to fight the urge to open himself up. He can’t. To do so would be disastrous. He waits until it fades away before he lays back down on the bed and tries to go back to sleep.


	3. Closing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcel and Louis begin to get close thanks in part to one very nosy and meddling Irishman.
> 
> Yeah that's a terrible summary but I suck at them. Still, it's a setup for the next tumultuous chapter. Haha!

He doesn’t have much with him but Marcel tries to at least make an attempt to look decent. It’s his birthday and Louis had mentioned him going to the pub that evening. He could privately admit that Louis was easy on the eyes and he liked him from what little he knew of him. He had never been one for short term relationships or one night stands leaving those types of behaviors towards his brothers. Marcel had always preferred long-term relationships though admittedly he had done poorly on that front simply because his brothers and him had vastly different tastes in omegas. As strange as it was, he was freeing to not have to think about their desires and tastes and he could solely focus on himself and what he wanted for a change. It would take some getting used to but going out on his birthday seemed just like the thing to help him along. Deciding on a pair of black skinny jeans, a plain white v-neck shirt and his only jacket, he gets dressed and styles what’s left of his short curls. He holds his glasses in his hands, debating on wearing them or not. As an alpha, his senses were heightened and he really had no need of glasses but they were a part of him. He liked wearing them despite not actually needing them. They also helped distinguish him from his brothers. Much like Harry’s tattoos or Edward’s smoking habit, his glasses were a part of his identity. Putting them on, he feels immediately better as he takes one last look in the mirror before he leaves for the pub.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“You think he’s coming?”

“Who?”

“Come on Niall. You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“Oh, you mean the tall, shy, quiet alpha named Marcel with the curls and dimples that made you swoon and that you haven’t shut up about since yesterday?”

“YES!”

“He’s standing right behind you.”

Niall walks away cackling as Louis turns and flushes bright red as he sees Marcel who is also turning slightly red as he looks at the ground. Louis plans on murdering Niall later that evening but for now, he has to somehow get past this embarrassment.

“Hey Marcel. Umm...do you want a table or sit at the bar?”

“The bar is fine. Thank you.”

Marcel goes to sit, fidgeting slightly as he watches Louis get behind the bar and starts to pour out a drink.

“Harp right?”

Smiling, Marcel gives him a slight nod. It’s moments like this that make him wish he were more confident like Harry or assertive like Edward. Edward was quiet but he was by no means a pushover or easily embarrassed. He just didn’t feel the need to speak when it wasn’t necessary whereas Harry talked all the time. Marcel? He just listened and let others take the lead. Except he couldn’t do that anymore. He had to start being somewhat more engaging and he’s the only person he really knows here. Looking around, he sees it’s a good size crowd and likely all locals.

He murmurs a thank you to Louis when his drink is served in front of him. It’s only a few moments later that a plate of chips and grave are placed before him. Looking up, he sees a pretty blonde woman standing there with a wide smile on her face.

“Here you go dear. Niall said you might be hungry and these are a good way to stoke the appetite. I’m Denise. Niall said you’re Marcel?”

“Ummm...yes. I’m Marcel. Marcel Selley.”

“Welcome to Mullingar Marcel Selley. What brings you here? You’re not quite a tourist but you’re not a university student either.”

“No, I’m neither. I guess I’m just a traveler.”

“Oh that’s fun then. So you go from place to place and staying for short terms in different cities and countries? It’s like when the Yanks do their backpacking across Europe deals. We get some of them here during the summer.”

“Something like that except I’m not a Yank.”

“Well now your accent clearly gave you away there Marcel.”

Marcel has an easy flow of conversation with Denise as Louis and Niall work the bar and occasionally listen in. His voice is deep, almost melodic and Louis could spend his entire shift listening to it but he was kept busy for a while. It had been Niall’s idea to have Denise work with them that evening because if anyone could draw a shy person out of their shell, it would be her. She was engaging and really listened to people making them open up to her more. As they talk, Louis quietly pours Marcel another drink knowing that as an alpha, he could handle his liquor far better than most. 

“How long will you be staying with us Marcel?”

“Oh...um...I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I’m paid through the week and then I guess I’ll see where the road takes me.”

“What about your family? Don’t they miss you while you’re out being a gypsy?”

She immediately regrets her words when the easy smile on his face drops and sadness overwhelms him. Niall and Louis freeze, easily able to sense his distress and his melancholy at Denise’s question but to their shock, Marcel does answer them this time.

“I lost my family a few weeks ago. I couldn’t stay there anymore so I just travel now.”

Her face instantly grows sympathetic as both Niall and Louis stop and gape at his admission. They had figured he’d lost someone but they had not counted on him losing everyone. They had so many questions but knew it wasn’t the time to interrupt. Not when he looked so devastated, listlessly dipping one of his chips in gravy. It’s Denise who gently prods him knowing that as painful it is to speak of such things, sometimes it’s better to get out the tears in order to begin to heal. She had a strong suspicion that Marcel had not talked about his family or what happened.

“May I ask what happened to your family?”

Marcel remembers Frank’s words to him. He has them memorized. Keep things vague and close to the truth.

“There was an accident…”

He stops because remembering was painful and he didn’t have to pretend to be grieving. He really was. He grieved for what he’d lost, for the immense guilt he felt over abandoning his brothers all because he just couldn’t handle the life path they’d tried to guilt him into taking. He feels a hand squeeze his and looks up to see Denise giving him a sympathetic smile with tears in her eyes to match the ones in his.

“It’s alright darlin. You’re in Ireland. You wouldn’t be the first or last to shed a tear in our pub. If we don’t have someone weep at least once a week we’ll ask ourselves why. Ireland is also a good place for healing. I know you said you’re traveling but perhaps there’s a reason you stopped here with us. Think about it. Mullingar is a great place for those looking to heal and those looking to build new lives.”

She moves away and returns to the kitchen after he nods, trying desperately not to shed the tears he knows are one blink away from falling. He’s aware that Niall and Louis are in the vicinity, likely aware that he’s upset. Looking up, he only sees Louis standing close to him. Louis himself has tears running down his face as he looks at Marcel.

“I lost my mum not too long ago. She was the only family I really had. I know what you’re feeling Marcel and I promise you your feelings won’t always be this close to the surface. You’ll have good days and bad days but little by little, things will begin to feel better. You won’t feel like you’re drowning in your grief forever.”

Marcel finally lets the tears drop as he listens to Louis. He quickly wipes them away and stands, embarrassed he lost control that way.

“Wait. Don’t leave!”

Louis quickly runs to the kitchen to ask Niall to cover for him while.

“Let me walk you back. We can take the long way back to your room.”

Marcel doesn’t say anything, just patiently waits for Louis to bundle up before they leave. A blast of cold air hits them as the door to the pub opens and they brave the chilly night air. They walk in silence for a while with Louis definitely taking them the long way. They stick to the main street but avoid the actual location of the B & B. Soon they stop at a bakery and Louis enters, cheerfully greeting the people inside who then stare at Marcel.

“Who’s this Lou? You finally found yourself an alpha?”

Both Louis and Marcel blush but Louis finds his voice to reply to the curiosity.

“This is Marcel and he’s not my alpha. He’s a friend.”

Marcel is greeted warmly by those there, the general philosophy that anyone that’s a friend of Louis’ is a friend of theirs. He orders them two hot chocolates to drink as they continue their walk.

“Sorry if they put you on the spot Marcel. People here are protective but very friendly. You couldn’t ask for better friends.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t mind.”

“Not to be a complete nosy pain in your arse but do you have an omega? Or had one?”

Marcel flushes and stammers out an answer making Louis laugh.

“Is that a yes or a no? It’s a one word answer Marcel.”

“It’s complicated?”

That makes Louis laugh even harder before Marcel joins him in laughing at his ridiculous answer.

“There was one but we realized we were not suited at all and then she found her dream alpha so I guess she got her happy ever after. It just wasn’t with me and I’m so relieved. What about you? Do you have an alpha that’s going to threaten me for walking with you?”

Louis huffs out a breath before giving Marcel a side glance.

“No I don’t and with the alpha to omega ratio here, I likely never will. I’d hide if I were you. There’s about 3 omegas to every 1 alpha in this town. You’re going to be a prized possession if you stay long enough. Most omegas here leave this town or go to university to find a mate. I don’t know what it is about this town that makes them pop out omegas more than anything.”

They keep walking mindlessly, Marcel letting Louis lead the conversation and he joins in occasionally, content to just listen. He likes listening to Louis. By the time they finally reach the B & B, they’ve been walking for an hour and Louis knows he should return to help Niall close. 

“I need to go. I can’t leave Niall alone tonight. Greg and Denise will be turning in soon and it will be up to use to close up tonight.”

“What time do you close?”

“It’s the off season so we close early enough. 11 tonight and midnight on weekends unless it’s a holiday. Then we close at 2 in the morning.”

“Oh. I can go back with you. Stay with you until you close.”

“It’s alright. Niall and I have done it often enough. Are you worried about the two omegas being alone?”

Marcel shuffles his feet, not wanting to admit that’s exactly why he offered.

“We’ll be alright but if it makes you feel better, you can come and sit for a bit longer.”

He smiles and takes Louis’ hand as they walk back to the pub. It was an impulse to hold his hand but he finds that Louis doesn’t pull away. He seems to enjoy holding Marcel’s hand which was a new experience for him as well. When they return to the pub, Niall’s laser like focus immediately goes to their joined hands before he smirks. He stays silent for all of a minute, waiting for them to return to the bar. When Marcel sits and Louis dons his apron to get back to work, Niall’s restraint breaks.

“So we’re holding hands already? That was fast but can’t say it surprises me. Louis likes you Marcel and I’ve seen you eyeing his bum. You like what you see.”

“NIALL!”

“NIALL!”

Twin voices of shock echo in the room causing Niall to roar with laughter at successfully having embarrassed both of them.

“Listen. If I don’t step in and say these things, you two will never progress past the hand holding and Marcel will leave town and Louis will pine for the one that got away.”

Marcel bursts out laughing as Louis hides his face behind his face. He now was certain he was going to murder Niall that very night.

“It’s alright Lou. Niall is right. I’d like to see you again when you’re not working.”

Marcel doesn’t know who’s more stunned. Louis or himself. He was not the type to ask someone out, his shyness usually getting the best of him but he had a new lease on life. It was past time he started enjoying the little things in life. Asking Louis out had been the bravest thing he’d ever done other than faking his death.

Louis gives him the biggest smile. Sure he’d been surprised but he had to admit he was happy and looking forward to going out with Marcel.

“I’m free the day after tomorrow. How about I meet you at your B & B at 11 and we make a day of it?”

“Sounds great Lou.”

He settles down with another beer and spends a comfortable evening talking to some other locals who come and go. Niall and/or Louis are always nearby to make sure no one is making him uncomfortable by asking too many questions and by the time they start getting ready to close, the people he’s met are convinced he’s Louis’ alpha despite both their half-hearted protests. He helps them wipe down tables and clean out ashtrays as well as sweeping the floor surprising the omegas. Most alphas wouldn’t bother with the more mundane tasks of cleaning like this but Marcel was obviously very different. When they were done, Niall said good night and went upstairs, his own flat being right above the pub. Marcel insisted on walking Louis’ home, not comfortable letting him walk alone late at night despite Louis’ protests that he’d done it thousands of times already. The walk took less than ten minutes and Marcel sees Louis shiver as they reach his flat.

“Thank you for letting me stay today Lou.”

“Thank you for staying and helping clean up. You made it go by much faster than if it were just Niall and I.”

“You’re welcome. Anyway, I should go but give Niall my thanks too. It was nice not to spend my birthday alone.”

“It’s your birthday?!”

Marcel silently curses himself when he realizes what he’d said. He had not meant to blurt that out. Something about Louis makes him comfortable and makes him just say what pops into his head instead of being cautious.

“Yes. I didn’t want to celebrate it to be honest so it was nice to not be alone but also not have that pressure or expectation over my head.”

Louis gives him a short nod, his beautiful eyes staring at Marcel as if he’s an anomaly. 

“What? Is there something on my face?”

Louis doesn’t reply. He steps close to Marcel and rises on his tippy toes and places his lips on Marcel’s. It’s a soft kiss and only lasts a few brief seconds before Louis breaks it off. Marcel’s eyes are wide as he stares at Louis before putting his hands on his waist and leaning down to kiss Louis again. 

They stay that way for a while, making out by Louis’ flat before he feels Louis shiver. He pulls back and feels guilty he made him stay out in the cold just so he could snog him senseless. It’s Louis who surprises Marcel next.   
“Did you want to come in?”

They stare at each other for the longest time before Marcel nods and Louis leads him up to his flat. 


	4. Secrets Surfacing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after between Louis & Marcel brings new decisions while Edward and Marcel begin to question everything they know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this being a short chapter but it was mostly setting up the players and pieces before the next chapter where there will be a time jump and more action/drama will ensue.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

The temperature kept dropping outside, the wind picking up and making anyone outside miserable but inside Louis’ flat, the outside world did not exist. Locked together, Louis was laying on top of Marcel, bodies sweaty as they caught their breath. Both would be lying if they said this was unexpected. From the minute Louis had invited him in, both had known this would happen and both wanted it. Marcel surprised Louis by spending time worshiping every inch of his body. He had not expected the shy alpha to be so thorough or frankly, a damn sex god. Louis couldn’t remember ever having anyone cater to his desires and making sure his pleasure came first. He had never let himself be knotted but one night with Marcel and his own rules went out the window. He was too sated and drowsy to really focus on what that meant so he enjoyed being this way with Marcel, the gentle glide of Marcel’s hands stroking his back lulling him into a sense of contentment. 

Marcel had his eyes closed, fingers and hands making Louis almost purr in satisfaction. He himself had never felt this type of bliss before. Sure sex was pleasurable but he’d never felt the need to just linger and stay. He’d never felt the desire to knot and remain locked with an omega like this before. It was late and though logically he knew he should leave when it’s safe to do so, his alpha would not let him leave Louis after what they’d shared and being locked together. His alpha was already demanding him to forget leaving. They weren’t going anywhere. He usually had better control but for once he was going to listen to his alpha. 

Remaining locked, both of them drift off to sleep.

It’s the annoying light peeking in from the curtains of his room that cause Louis to frown and shift, freezing when an arm around his waist tightens its hold. A low murmur is heard behind him before he feels a soft kiss pressed on his shoulder.

“Good morning.”

Louis smiles, happy that Marcel had stayed with him. He had kind of expected to wake up alone which was a sad commentary on alpha/omega modern relationships lately. Don’t get him wrong. Louis was all about being independent and doing things for himself but when it came to sex, he had some strange ideas that didn’t fit in with the modern mentality. He was no prude and enjoyed sex but when it came to heats, he preferred to spend them alone. The same with knotting. He’d been knotted once before and had promised himself that much like his heats, he’d wait until he met his alpha to share such personal and private moments. He found that heats and knotting were more personal, more intimate and he didn’t want to cheapen them by just finding any alpha to satisfy those needs. 

And then came Marcel.

A few days with him and all his rules went out the window. He knew he’d be talking to Niall about this later when they had a chance to talk but for now, he was going to enjoy his time with Marcel.

Snuggling in closer, he can feel Marcel already stirring, so he follows impulse and purposely wiggles his excellent bum (and he’s not being modest. Louis knows his ass is glorious) against Marcel causing the alpha to give out a low growl. Laughing, he shifts and turns before Marcel pins him down, their lips meeting once again as Marcel becomes rough and demanding and Louis’ own desire matches his.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That afternoon, Louis finally makes his way to the pub after Marcel promises to be there later that night. He has a few things to get done before the pub opens. Niall isn’t in when Louis arrives so he gets started setting up the board with the daily specials from the pub using the note Greg left for them. He’s pulling chairs down when Niall finally appears. He freezes when he sees Niall, his nose wrinkling before he grabs Louis by the wrist and drags him to a booth.

“Ok. Spill. You stink of alpha. YOU HAD SEX WITH MARCEL! I can smell him all over you. Give me all the details. I’ll know if you lie or omit details so you better not even think about it.”

Laughing, Louis sits back and proceeds to talk to Niall about it all. They’d been friends for so long that it had never occurred to Louis to not talk to Niall. He’s amused by the looks of glee, surprise and envious noises Niall makes as he talks about Marcel. They continue to talk as they get up from the booth and start setting things up before they open the doors. Niall can’t help but tease Louis about the slight limp he’s trying hard to hide but Louis blushes and flips him off.

“Oi! Bugger off Niall. Limping is a sign of fantastic sex. Besides, he knotted me twice. Of course I’m going to limp.”

Cackling, Niall shakes his head as he goes to help prep in the kitchen as Louis goes to unlock the doors and prepare for their customers. It was a fantastic night for him and he’s looking forward to seeing Marcel again.

Marcel has a rather productive afternoon driving to another nearby town, Athlone. He’s not quite sure why he made that drive but it felt good to be here in Ireland. He hardly knows Louis but he wasn’t stupid. Connections that are intense between an alpha and an omega are not to be ignored. He had always said no to the omegas his parents and brothers had brought forth simply because there was no connection, no spark and no chemistry. Admittedly he was the romantic in his family but he was not one to deny what was obvious. He had that chemistry and spark with Louis. Physically, it was intense. Emotionally? He knew he wanted to be near Louis. To spend more time with him. Get to know him and see where it would lead. Perhaps it was too soon to be thinking such things but then again, maybe this was the universe’s way of rewarding his patience and the misery he’d had to endure. Driving back to Mullingar, he begins to think and plan.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Father? Are you coming to the office today?”

Silence. Edward sighs and enters his father’s study only to find the man asleep, an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor by his feet and still wearing the same clothes from the previous day. Picking up the bottle, he puts it in the wastebasket and walks out, quietly closing the door behind him.

“Mother? Mother are you up?”

Harry knocks on the door to his parents bedroom and waits for her consent to have him enter but it’s quiet. He opens the door and sees her asleep, her bottles of pills lined up neatly on the nightstand next to the bed along with a half filled glass of water. He covers her with a blanket and then leaves, gloomy at what has happened to his family after the death of Marcel.

He joins Edward at the top of the stairs, both silently communicating with each other about the sorry state their parents are in. Both their parents were too deep in their grief to offer any form of comfort or solace to their sons as they too struggle with their grief.

“Are you going to class Harry?”

“Yes. It’s best if I keep busy and school offers me that chance if only for a few hours a day. You?”

“I’m going to the office and taking some of my coursework online. I’ve arranged it with the university since father can’t seem to make it in anymore. I have to step up and run things until he’s better.”

But both of them knew he wouldn’t get better. Both of them knew that neither of their parents would ever be the same. If they managed to bring themselves up from the pit of grief both were currently drowning in, they wouldn’t be the same people as before just like Edward and Harry were no longer the same.

Edward opens his mouth to say something then just as quickly closes it but Harry notices.

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No. Tell me. We did this to Marcel and shut him down. I won’t let you do that to me and I won’t do it to you so tell me.”

Edward hesitates, looking back at the stairs before shaking his head.

“I’ll drive you to school and tell you on the way.”

Both go to retrieve what they need for school and work before going to Edward’s car, his face tense as he pulls out of the grounds of their estate.

“Do you remember how Marcel was in the weeks leading up to everything? Tense. Nervous. Constantly trying to tell us something wasn’t right?”

Harry shifts in his seat as he remembers how sad and almost desperate their brother had been.

“Yeah. I remember.”

“I think something was going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look. I don’t know yet. I don’t know but ever since I’ve started stepping in for father, I’ve started noticing that not everything is what it seems.”   
“I don’t understand.”

“Things with the company. Some of the people dad does business with? There are rumors, stories about them. I’ve started looking carefully and I’m finding some of these people have ties to…”

“Ties to what Eddie?”

“Fuck. That’s the thing Harry. I’m not 100% sure but they have ties to drug lords. Smugglers. Human trafficking and I’m starting to think that our company does too.”

“WHAT?”

“I don’t have proof just yet so I’m being very careful. It could just be he does business with shitty people but something tells me there’s more to it than that. Harry, I’m starting to wonder if perhaps Marcel came across something, saw or heard something he wasn’t supposed to and that’s why he became so strange in the end. Why he isolated himself. When we last saw him, he’d gotten so thin. You saw him. It wasn’t healthy or normal. What if Marcel’s death wasn’t an accident?”

Harry can’t even reply. His eyes are wide with horror as he listens to Edward’s words, his heart sinking as the pieces of the puzzle start to shift and paint a more horrifying picture.

“Is that...do you think that’s why our parents are acting the way they are? Guilt because in some way, they’re indirectly responsible for his and Ari’s death?”

“I don’t know but that’s something else Harry. Ari’s family? Her father? He too has ties to the same groups our father does. What are the odds both Marcel and Ari die together after what was a casual brunch? It came out of nowhere. Don’t you think it’s too cut and dried? Hardly any inquest and the case was closed. What if there’s more to the story than just this?”

Harry shakes his head, refusing to believe what Edward’s saying. It just can’t be. It’s too horrible to even contemplate. The thought that someone would do this and for what?

“What possible reason could there be to kill Marcel and Ari? Both of them were the very picture of innocence.”

“Perhaps that’s why. A warning? I don’t know. I don’t fucking know but I promise Harry. I will find out. One way or another, I will find out what happened and what’s going on with our company.”


	5. Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a time jump in this chapter (and likely the next) to really get the story going as well as move our characters forward in their respective stories.

_ One Year Later… _

“Babe? I’m leaving for work. I’ll catch you at the pub later alright?”

“What? Wait!”

Louis runs out of the shower, a towel loosely draped around his waist and another in his hands as he tries to dry his hair. Marcel’s look softens as he looks at the beautiful sight before him. If he weren’t already running a little late, he’d stay in and have another romp with Louis before he has to go into the pub. Louis smirks when he recognizes the look on Marcel’s face. It had been one year since Marcel had stumbled into the pub and into his life. One year since they started casually seeing each other at first, sleeping together before Louis had taken the initiative with his skittish and slow alpha and asked him to move in with him. They’d been living together for the past three months and still had not formalized their relationship by bonding together. This was a fact that the people in the village never failed to mention to them whenever the opportunity arose. They lived together, were obviously very much in love and yet they had not taken the final step of bonding. Even Niall was surprised at their reluctance to take this step. Whenever asked, both would ask what the rush was. They certainly were in no hurry. Or at least that’s what Louis wanted Marcel to believe. The truth is he was more than ready to bond with Marcel but he also knew that Marcel was still harboring a lot of grief and pain from the loss of his family and that the idea of bonding made him skittish. He wasn’t against it necessarily. He just avoided talking about it and so far, Louis let him.

“I said I was leaving for work. I’ll swing by the pub later and then we can go home together?”

That was one of the nice things about Marcel’s schedule. Once he had decided to stay in Mullingar, he had no trouble finding work. He had wandered into the city offices looking for their listings of local jobs and had come across a woman struggling with her laptop. They’d struck up a conversation and she admitted she was in over her head as social media and the like were not her specialty. It had not taken long for him to find out that the city was looking for a social media manager to revamp their presence on social media as well as increase traffic to their social media pages and city website in the hopes of increasing tourism especially in the off season. Many of their businesses relied heavily on tourism to get them through the hard winter months. If they could somehow use social media to give a small boost to tourism during this time, it could really make a big difference to local businesses. Marcel had offered a few suggestions that had her taking notes before she finally asked him to wait while she talked to her boss. By the end of the day (and largely on the recommendation of Louis and Niall and the rest of the Horan family), Marcel had been hired as the new Social Media Manager for the city of Mullingar. For their part, Louis and Niall had been thrilled. Louis because he knew that Marcel was his alpha. He was THE ONE and the thought that he might leave and they’d never see each other again had devastated him. Niall had been thrilled because he knew the two idiots were crazy about each other despite them dragging their feet over every little detail of their relationship. If it had not been for him, they’d still be awkwardly flirting at the pub instead of living together and making him jealous of all the sex they had if Louis’ eternal limp was anything to go by.

His job was flexible in that he could go into his office or work from home or even work from the pub. He mostly chose to remain professional and work from the office but sometimes he took time and worked from home if there were things that needed to be done or if Louis had the day off and it allowed them more time together. If Louis was closing on a busy weekend or holiday, he’d stay at the pub and help out if he could while still managing to work using his phone for phone calls, texts, emails and anything else that he could get done to ensure his workload was never too extreme. His life was settled and happy and if he sometimes had dark days and moods in which he thought of his brothers and parents, Louis was always there to smooth things out and hold him until he could be himself again and the pain would ease up.

They didn’t speak much about Marcel’s family. Louis had tried to gently bring them up and prod him but Marcel was tight-lipped about anything related to them. He would either shut down and walk away from Louis or he would get overwhelmingly sad and dive into one of his moods. Louis quickly learned to not ask anymore but would still get surprised when Marcel would make an offhand comment about his family. It hadn’t been much but thanks to his little slip ups, Louis now knew his parents had enjoyed ballroom dancing, long dinners with friends and had been eager to become grandparents one day. He tried not to think too much about it or take it personally. He too had difficulty talking about his mum so he could understand Marcel’s reluctance. On a whim, he and Niall had one day googled ‘Marcel Selley’ and then ‘Selley family’ but found very little. Just a short blurb about a terrible car accident that killed Mr. and Mrs. Selley of Manchester. Unbeknownst to Louis and Marcel, it was Frank who had planted that story along with a few others in case anyone tried to do a social media check or news check on Ariana or Marcel’s new identities. The man was certainly thorough. 

Giving Louis one more kiss, Marcel makes the trek to work, liking that it was close enough to walk. In fact, most of where they frequented was within walking distance so their car sat unused more often than not. His work was satisfying and Marcel was happy that the plans he had implemented a year ago were bearing fruit. Tourism was up by 7% these winter months and while it wasn’t a large number, it was still significant enough for him to to be thanked profusely, given a small raise and an actual office instead of a desk and laptop. Now he had to ensure that the trust given to him was not misplaced. Already he was thinking ahead and planning on how to increase tourism not just during the winter months but all year round. He had plans to work with local travel agencies and businesses to offer package deals. As he arrives at his office, he cheerfully greets the others who work in the surrounding offices. While small, he likes his office. It sits on the first floor, right in the middle of the building offering him a view of people coming and going. His one window faces the gardens where he sometimes takes his lunch when Louis comes to visit. The first thing he does is boot up his computer and checks messages left for him by the secretary who handles the switchboard at the main entrance. He spends the morning returning phone calls, setting up meetings with some business owners for later in the week and eats lunch at his desk as he works on the city website as it transitions from winter to spring and all the events the city will be hosting in the spring, from concerts to festivals and small fairs. Despite his title of working strictly via social media, Marcel had also spent time working with the city’s tourism board on attracting different types of acts and artists to Manchester. From traveling theater groups to up and coming musical acts, Mullingar was doing well in regards to their visibility amongst bigger cities in Ireland and had managed to attract bigger name artists who liked working in smaller venues. Marcel is happy and content as he puts the finishing touches on a proposal he’d been working on for a summer package involving the Mullingar Park Hotel and Belvedere House Gardens and Park. If all went well, the pitch would be successful and he could have it showcased and advertised by the weekend. Deciding to call it an early day, he starts to pack up and decides to head to the pub a bit earlier than planned. As he leaves, he waves to those he encounters, always friendly. It’s a testament to his own nature that he’s seemingly now woven into day to day life and the locals see him as one of their own. He IS a local now. He can honestly say he’s never been as happy as he is now. Thoughts of his beautiful omega make him walk faster to the pub. 

“Lou! Marcel’s here.”

Smiling, Louis leaves the kitchen with a tray of food for one of the tables. Smiling at his alpha, he jerks his head to the bar and goes to serve the family having dinner out their orders of stew and chips. Once done, he takes the tray and returns it to the kitchen before going to see Marcel. He already has a beer in his hand as Niall chatters to him about an upcoming game of footie they planned to watch that weekend. He takes a moment to just watch them, smiling and content to see his best friend and his alpha sharing laughs as they argue about teams and players. Marcel turns his head to look at Louis when he’s suddenly seized with a sharp pain in his chest. His smile quickly turns into a grimace followed by roar of pain and grief that startles the other patrons at the pub. The last thing Marcel sees are the panicked faces of Louis, Niall, Denise and Greg who had rushed out just in time to see the alpha collapse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

_ Back in London… _

“What’s this?”

“An invitation to some coming out deal.”

“And why was it sent to us?”

“It’s been a year. I think these families believe it’s time we stopped mourning and started thinking about courting their eligible omegas.”

Edward rolled his eyes but could not deny the truth of what Harry said. Lately, he’d started to notice that omegas of their acquaintance had started to get more forward and flirty with him and Harry. They’d started to receive invitations to dinners, luncheons, galas, parties and all sorts of get-togethers. The few they’d attended had been interesting. Single omega’s were everywhere. They had not caught on at first but it was starting to get a little obvious. Tossing the invitation aside, Edward reached for the remote control instead. Harry sits beside him, still sorting through the small pile of mail that included several invitations.

“What time will they land?”

“They should be here sometime in the next half hour, I think.”

The anniversary of Marcel’s death had come and gone but his parents had not wanted to be here for that morbid occasion. Rather than remain in London, they’d spent the past two weeks in Paris, avoiding the memories of their son’s death and the birthday of their other two sons. It was a bleak existence but neither Edward nor Harry found it in themselves to care much. They had chosen to ignore their 22nd birthday and treat it as just another day. Without Marcel, all of them had seemingly been frozen emotionally and buried their feelings along with him. Harry is opening invitations as Edward channel surfs when they’re interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Curious as to who would be calling on them like this, both make their way to the front door only to see three somber looking men. 

“Good evening. We’re from Air Accidents Investigations.”

Edward and Harry are frozen, shock and grief coursing through them as they are told about the small plane crash that occurred. Harry is shaking his head in denial as Edward listens, his fists clenching when they’re told the plane was identified as the one belonging to Styles Inc and the passenger manifest listed the names of their parents, a pilot and one flight attendant as being on board the plane. Though formal identification still needs to be made, there’s no doubt in their minds that Mr. and Mrs. Styles were among the victims of the plane crash. 

It feels like a lifetime before they leave with Edward making arrangements to contact them soon to identify the remains of their parents. Closing the door, he looks up to see the housekeeper crying softly while a number of other servants nearby are also in tears. Harry is kneeling on the floor holding a picture of the family taken before Marcel’s death, the only sound heard is Harry’s repeated cries of, “No, no, no.” 

Mustering what little energy he has, Edward gives the household the rest of the week off with the promise that he will contact them all with further information. Only the housekeeper and groundskeeper will stay with them. They’re a married couple and live on the estate anyway and they know they can’t leave the boys alone during this time. Edward helps Harry to his feet and they stumble their way to their bedroom, cups of tea laced with whiskey placed by the housekeeper on the nightstand as Edward holds Harry and together they mourn the loss of their parents.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The steady beep beep beep of a monitor are the only sounds heard in the room. Louis sits right next to the bed, eyes red rimmed and his hands firmly grasping Marcel’s. Niall sits next to Louis, offering silent comfort as he looks between the unconscious Marcel and frazzled Lou. 

After his collapse, he’d been rushed to the hospital as Louis sobbed in fear that something was wrong with Marcel. Alpha’s were physically stronger, healthy and rarely had medical problems that warranted hospitalization. The doctors had been unable to find anything physically wrong with him but the point remained that he had not gained consciousness in the past 24 hours and showed no signs of waking. Louis had spent that time talking to Marcel, whispering to him and begging him to wake. 

“Here you go.”

Both Louis and Niall look up to see Denise and Greg holding cups of tea. Taking them, they both murmur thanks as the four of them stare bleakly at Marcel’s figure, pale and silent on the bed.

“Good afternoon! I’m Dr. Hunt. Which one of you is Louis Tomlinson?”

“That’s me.”

“Ah. You’re Mr. Selley’s omega. I see it listed on his intake form. I wanted to speak to you about his condition.”

Louis straightens up, worried about what the doctor had to say.

“First off, I’m not a surgical doctor but rather I’m a medical doctor specializing in physical and psychiatric conditions of alphas and omegas. Your alpha has suffered what we call complex trauma or complex PTSD.”

“What? What’s that?”

“Complex trauma is a condition in which a person has experienced multiple and/or prolonged traumatic events in their lives. Some of the symptoms include  reliving the trauma through flashbacks and nightmares, avoiding situations that remind them of the trauma, difficulty sleeping or concentrating to name a few. Do these sound familiar?”

“Yes…”

“Have you noticed that Marcel experiences intense anger or sadness or that he distances himself from you when he’s experiencing an episode?”

Tears are now starting to fall as Louis’ nods, numb to what he’s hearing.

“I thought as much. As clear as I can tell, Marcel suffered something extremely traumatic in his life. It may be fairly recent. His episode today was likely a flashback triggered by something. It doesn’t have to be major. He could have been easily triggered by a sudden memory, a smell, something on the telly that reminded him of his trauma. Whatever it was, it caused his body to go into shock and he fell unconscious because of it. He will wake, likely soon but he will try to ignore it, pretend it didn’t happen or flat out refuse to talk about it. Do not push him to speak to you but it is highly recommended he considers seeing a therapist about his past trauma. There is no shame in speaking to someone. Military, law enforcement and high stress positions require their employees to see counselors because of the trauma they often see in their day to day lives at work. Has Marcel ever spoken to you about his past?”

“Only that he lost his family in the past year. He refuses to talk about it and from what I have been able to find out, it was a horrible accident that took the lives of everyone he knew.”

“That could certainly do it. For him to have this extreme reaction, it is also very likely Marcel witnessed the accident or was in the accident himself. It’s hard to determine until he wakes to tell us. I’ll return to look in on him later tonight and won’t release him to go home until after I’ve spoken to him.”

“Thank you doctor.”

When he leaves, he sees the pitying looks Niall, Greg and Denise are giving him and Marcel. Now they all know that there’s more to Marcel’s story than they were aware of and yet Louis knows regardless of what is said to him, Marcel won’t talk unless he wants to.

It’s early in the morning when Marcel stirs. He opens his eyes, rapidly blinking as he takes in his surroundings. Confusion sets in when he sees Louis asleep on a small cot next to him. The memories of what happened suddenly rush as he struggles to control his breathing and not panic. What the hell had caused his collapse? He knows he’s in a hospital and he clearly remembers laughing and joking with Niall before the pain set in. He just didn’t know what caused the pain. Sitting up, he looks around and sees Louis’ phone on the small table by his bed. He knows he shouldn’t but he can’t shake the feeling that his sudden collapse had something to do with his family. Quietly reaching for it, he unlocks it and does a quick search all while praying he’s wrong. His search doesn’t last long. It was front page news across several news outlets.

_**Styles Family Tragedy** _

_**Tragedy Strikes Styles Again** _

_**A Family Cursed?** _

Clearing the search, Marcel places the phone back and feels numb. His parents are gone. Killed in a plane crash after a trip to France. Life is so fleeting, short. It’s this realization that has him accept that things can change at any given moment and he's powerless to stop them. Most of them. 

Struggling to process, he continues to stare at the wall and think about his life and what’s led him up to where he’s at, unaware that Louis is stirring. When Louis realizes Marcel is awake he rises quickly and puts his hand on Marcel’s cheek. Marcel turns to look at Louis, looking at the features of Louis’ face. The high cheekbones, the cute button nose that crinkles when he’s being playful, the bright blue eyes that sparkle when he’s feeling mischievous or when he’s angry. His forehead touches Louis’ when he leans forward to hold his omega. His omega. HIS. It’s with sudden clarity that Marcel knows what he wants. 

“I love you so much Lou. I’ve been so stupid these months. Trying hard to ignore what is so obvious. I want you. I want to build a life with you. Will you bond with me Lou?”


	6. Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut alert! There is smut in this chapter.  
> Have fun kids!

To say he was nervous was an understatement. 

They’d been together for slightly over a year now. Like clockwork, his heat was set to arrive in the next few hours where they’d finally make it official and bond. Marcel had helped him through his past few heats since they arrived every four months but this one was different. This was the most important heat because it would solidify their relationship and let them become a family. Though they had discussed children, both had agreed to wait a bit before bringing puppies into the mix. They really wanted some time together as a couple before children. 

Looking at the clock, Louis paces their living room, becoming aware of the first signs of his heat. He was already in loose shorts and one of Marcel’s shirts but sweat was starting to slide down his back. Marcel was not yet home, having run to the pub to pick up some premade meals Denise had been kind enough to make for them for the duration of Louis’ heat. Most heats lasted between 3-5 days but once bonded, a heat could drop down to as little as 2 days and ruts would last 1-2. That was definitely an advantage of having a bonded mate. Louis decides to go wait in their bedroom, the sheets freshly washed and changed with extra sheets neatly folded on the chair in the corner. Extra towels were folded in the bathroom and Niall had promised to drop by and bring additional supplies should they be needed. He had a key to their place but would stay away unless he was called by Marcel. Louis is seized by a cramp as the first wave hits him, whimpers leaving his lips as he stumbles his way to the bathroom. Running a cool bath, he fights the onslaught of his heat as he waits for Marcel to return. His mind was still present and he fought hard to not succumb to his heat just yet. Not until he was sure Marcel was home to take care of him.

He’s not in the tub for long before another wave hits him, slick being released into the water as Louis manages to stand on shaky legs and exit the tub. He dries himself off quickly, whimpering in relief when he hears the front door slam shut and the sound of locks being engaged. They so rarely locked their doors but for a heat, it was a necessary precaution in case some horny alpha with no restraint caught a whiff of an omega in heat and tried something stupid. Louis stands there in a towel before Marcel rushes in, struggling to fling his shirt off as Louis moves to help him. Now that his alpha is here, he can finally give in to his omega and his heat.

“Shhh...I’m here Lou. I’m here. You can let go.”

And so he does.

Marcel finally manages to get all his clothes off and gently lays down with Louis on the bed. He takes his time kissing Louis, lips softly grazing the sun-kissed skin as Louis whines and squirms. Marcel wants to take this slow and make it pleasurable for Louis but Louis is too far gone. All he can think of is mating and getting a knot. That’s all he can think of when he’s this far in. His hands graze Marcel’s back, nails digging in as he tries so hard to get his alpha to give him what he wants, eliciting a small chuckle from Marcel.

“Alright inpatient one. I know what you want.”

Marcel swoops in to kiss Louis as his hand travels down, one finger caressing his hole as more slick comes out. The heady scent of Louis sweet slick is almost more than Marcel can stand but he restrains himself from just pouncing on his omega before he’s managed to prepare him. He inserts one finger, a whine coming from Louis’ lips as Marcel gently teases him before adding another finger. He’s scissoring them, enjoying the little sounds Louis makes as he writhes around, restless and desperate. Marcel finally takes pity on Louis (and his own instincts are starting to take over) as he removes his fingers, licking and tasting the sweet slick he craves. Marcel gets on his knees and hoists Louis’ legs over his waist as he circles his hole with his cock before finally sliding in slowly, always careful not to hurt his omega before bottoming out. He waits a few moments until he’s sure Louis is ready before holding Louis by the hips and begins to thrust in and out, each thrust taking him deeper as Louis screams in reckless abandon as he comes. Time loses all meaning as Marcel changes their positions each time he makes Louis orgasm. He’s enjoying prolonging the act, loving the fact that he can give his omega so much pleasure each time. Knowing it’s almost time, he flips Louis onto his stomach and grabs his hips, lining himself up to his hole before he starts to pound into Louis mercilessly. He feels his knot start to expand and it must be instinct that has Louis arching his back, baring his neck to the side for Marcel. In that moment, Marcel bites down on Louis' mating mark as he pops his knot inside of Louis, locking them together and sealing their bond. Louis screams as he orgasms while simultaneously being flooded with Marcel’s emotions, his feelings and something else. Something he can’t identify. He’s too tired, too emotional to dwell on it as Marcel gently maneuvers them to their sides so they can lay together comfortably as they wait for Marcel’s knot to go gown.

Marcel is in a daze, his own emotions flooded with those of unconditional love and happiness he feels emanating from Louis. He feels his knot pulse as he releases again into his omega, his arm wrapping itself tightly around Louis’ waist as they both succumb to sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Both Edward and Harry jerk up with a start, hands immediately going to their heads as they both feel a rush of something they’ve never felt before. Something they’ve never experienced before.

Harry is at the hotel restaurant where he’s now doing hands-on training as an apprentice  pâtissier or pastry chef. He’d been helping make desserts for a wedding that coming weekend under the direction of the head chef when he’d stumbled back and suddenly felt a strange rush of emotions. He felt dizzy and excused himself for a moment before rushing to the bathroom. He didn’t feel sick but rather he felt strange intense feelings he’d never felt before. It was almost as if there was someone else in his mind. Someone that wasn’t Edward. As quickly as the feeling arrived, it left leaving him gasping from the intensity of what had just occurred. Not understanding it, he takes his phone out and calls Edward. Maybe he’d know what to do.

Edward is entering the office from a business meeting when it happens. His assistant had just left and closed the door when he felt it and stumbled before regaining his balance. 

“Holy shit!”

Edward can’t help but swear as he feels an intense rush of completion, love and joy. 

“What the fuck…”

The feelings subside just as quickly as they hit leaving Edward a confused mess as he groans from the sudden headache left in its wake. He’s distracted by the ringing of his phone, Harry’s ringtone. He quickly unlocks it as he stumbles to his chair to talk to Harry. Harry wastes no time in talking to his brother.

“What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know. Let’s talk when we’re both home? I have a conference call in 30 and can’t miss it.”

“Yeah, alright. I need to finish helping making the desserts for this weekend. I’ll see you tonight. See if we can get some answers.”

When they hang up, Harry returns to the kitchen to help, his hands quickly finding the rhythm needed to keep using the double guitar cutter to make the required amount of petit fours. He tries to keep himself focused on his task and he mostly succeeds except for the random sensations that hit him without warning. By the time he finishes for the day, he’s pale and tired, an unusual state for him. Cleaning up his station, he bids good evening to the other chefs before he goes to his car to make the drive home. Hopefully Edward has some answers.

When he arrives home, he sees Edward is already there. Eager to talk, he’s surprised when he sees Edward sitting with a snifter of cognac and their housekeeper sitting with him drinking tea. 

“What’s going on?”

Edward says nothing but continues to stare off into the distance, the only movement he makes is the restless twirling of his glass.

“Sit down Harry dear. I need to explain to you what I explained to Edward.”

Confused, Harry takes a seat next to Edward and waits patiently.

“Edward came home and had an episode, for lack of a better word. I found him clutching his head, muttering something about someone else being there.”

“Yes, the same thing happened to me at work today and all day it’s been there. It’s persistent but I don’t understand it.”

“Let me ask you this Harry. Have you ever bonded with someone?”

“What? No! None of us ever did.”

“Are you certain? What about Marcel? Before he passed. Had he bonded with someone?”

“Of course not. We would have known.”

“Don’t be upset dear but what Edward described and what you are describing sounds like an incomplete bond.”

“A what? How can that be?”

“It sounds as if one of you may have bonded with someone and you’re both now experiencing the aftereffects of the bond being incomplete.”

“That’s not possible. Neither of us have even associated with any omega to have bonded.”

“You do understand that instinctive and spontaneous bonds exist?”

Both Edward and Harry look up at that, confused and unsure. This isn’t something they were aware of.

“Sometimes, the bond between a pair is strong and though they do not immediately recognize it, a bond forms. You start to feel what the other feels. You start to experience the highs and lows of their thoughts and feelings. Now being triplets, the three of you always had this and mating with someone would introduce them to the bond. It is possible, rare but possible that one of you formed an instinctive bond with someone and didn’t realize it. It could be someone from work, someone you met at a restaurant or coffee shop. While very rare, these bonds are also extremely difficult to maintain because the pairs don’t often realize it until it is too late thus the bond can’t and won’t solidify. It will eventually fade since it was never completed but it may take time. The best I can tell you both is if this is something you wish to pursue, you’ll both have to think and list who you were with today, where you went and start narrowing it down. Or you can choose to ignore it and with time, the bond will disappear.”

It’s Harry who speaks up, tentative and casting nervous glances at Edward.

“Will it hurt the omega if we choose to ignore it? Will they be in pain or worse if we do not make any attempts to find them?”

“It’s not completely clear but in the rare cases where these types of bonds were formed, neither party was aware so the omega had no reason to feel pain. Omega’s only feel the pain of rejection if they are made aware of their mate’s existence and then are denied the bond.”   
“I felt happiness in mine. A lot of it and it was distracting. They were happy. Is that because they were aware of the bond or something else?”

“I can’t answer that dear but if they are aware of the bond, they’ll reach out soon enough. Just take it one day at a time dear. You both have been under enough stress. This is out of your control mostly unless you wish to pursue it. Sleep on it.”

With those words, she rises and wishes them both goodnight as she goes to her shared quarters with her husband and prepares for a relaxing evening in.

Harry and Edward continue to brood for a bit, not speaking but still communicating. It’s almost an unspoken agreement between them. They don’t want a mate. They will ignore the bond unless they have no choice but to confront it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

_ 3 years later… _

A sleepy voice murmurs in Louis’ ear as he shifts to his side, wincing at the sharp pain he feels by his ribs.

“Good morning love. How are you and peanut doing?”

Marcel’s hand softly rubs the swell of Louis’ belly, smiling at the frantic movements of their child.

“Peanut decided to play footie on my bladder all night and keep me going to the loo every hour. Bad peanut.”

Marcel laughs as Louis turns to face him, their bodies distanced due to his expanding belly.

The past few years had been incredibly blessed for them. Their bond had been strong from the start and if the strange voices and feelings Louis sometimes experienced came and went, well they’d learned to deal with them. When Louis had first told Marcel about them, Marcel had quickly worked with Louis to learn to shut them out. Though he didn’t quite understand why Marcel was adamant about this, Louis had figured it was best to not fight him on it. Sometimes the emotions were strong and he couldn’t help but feel them but most of the time, he did great and forgot they were there. He’d once told Niall about them but rather than soothe Louis, Niall had insisted he find out what they were from Marcel. It had been a point of contention between them. Niall felt Marcel kept too many secrets from Louis and while Louis understood his concerns, he also knew that some things were better kept private and if Marcel didn’t want to talk about them, he wasn’t going to push him. Now those were few and far between and they were happier than they’d ever been. Marcel’s work had earned him a promotion allowing them to start a savings account for the purchase of a new home. They were looking already and hoping to find something just right for them and their expanding family. Louis planned to work up until he gave birth and then he planned on staying home with their baby for a while. Though he wasn’t one for following traditional gender norms and roles, he wanted to be home for all the little milestones of their pup so it put him in a real quandary. Marcel was always quick to soothe his fears when he got overwhelmed by thoughts of staying home or working. He’d always tell Louis he’d support whatever he wanted to do. As for Marcel, he planned on working from home as much as possible once the baby arrived to help Louis. There would be days when going into the office would be inevitable but because of the flexibility of his job, he didn’t think it would be too much of a hassle.

They both finally got up to get ready. Louis wanted to get in early to help with the deliveries of inventory and maybe take an hour or so to visit Marcel for lunch. They both dressed and got ready for their respective days. Marcel walks Louis to the pub, both saying good morning to others already starting their day as they prepared their shops and restaurants for business. Once at the pub, Marcel kisses Louis and takes a quick nip at his mating mark making Louis laugh. As they split, they both go about their days, enjoying a surprise lunch together in Marcel’s office. Louis gets home first, unpacking the containers he’d brought home from the pub. Greg had outdone himself with the beef and Guinness stew, fresh made soda bread and glazed carrots. Louis was not a fan of vegetables but peanut had him craving glazed carrots which was just strange to him. This little fact always made Marcel smile so he made sure they always had carrots at home and he’d learned how to cook them just the way Louis and peanut liked them. 

Looking at the clock, he estimates he has enough time to shower and change into more comfortable clothes before Marcel gets home. He’s finally able to relax, his lower back aching from the additional weight of a baby on his smaller frame. He returns to the kitchen and smiles in surprise when he sees Marcel heating up the stew.

“You must have been really quiet to get in without me hearing you.”

Giving Marcel a kiss on the cheek, Louis sets the table and gets Marcel a drink while he opts for water. He had his one cup of tea in the morning and then was stuck with juice or water. Too much caffeine was bad for him and the pup plus he’d quickly realized anything else gave him heartburn. As much as he loved their unborn pup, he was looking forward to mainlining caffeine when the pup was born.

They sit to eat and talk about their days, just relaxing in each other’s company as they spend time as a mated pair with their first pup on the way. They talk about potential homes Marcel has found and make plans to go see them in two days when they’re both off. They watch a late night movie before turning in, content and happy with their lives.

The steady ringing of a phone is what disturbs Louis. Marcel was in a deep sleep and Louis was up on yet another restroom trip courtesy of their peanut. As he’s returning from the loo, he realizes that the constant ringing is coming from Marcel’s phone. The clock states it’s 4:15 in the morning. Who the hell is calling that early?

“Marcel? Love. Wake up.”

Marcel shifts and sits up, rubbing his eyes as he looks at a worried Louis.

“Lou? Is everything ok? Is it the pup?”

His hands go to Louis’ belly and he rubs it gently hoping everything is ok.

“No. Yes. I’m fine. We’re fine. It’s your phone. It keeps ringing.”

Frowning in confusion, Marcel looks at his silent phone with 4 missed calls before it starts ringing again. His blood freezes as he sees the number highlighted.

**PIZZA UNION**

“Marcel? Babe. What’s wrong?”

Louis senses the immediate change in Marcel. His scent is off and he’s tense but he doesn’t speak. Slowly he unlocks his phone and puts it to his ear.

“Frank…”

“Marcel. Time is short. You need to run. NOW!”

Marcel hears a roaring sound in his ears as the call is disconnected and his world begins to fall apart again.


	7. The Truth Comes Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I took so long to update. I'm a stickler for regular updates and rl overwhelmed me and now I'm mad at myself. Anyways, I hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading and thanks for the lovely comments!

Louis is frozen in confusion as he watches Marcel jump out of bed and run to the small basement of their home. He can hear the door opening and a short while later it’s slamming shut before Marcel reappears in their bedroom, a small black travel case in his hands. Marcel moves fast as Louis observes, feeling himself getting lost in his confusion. He’s trying so hard to form the necessary words to ask Marcel what is going on but it’s as if his mind and body are disconnected. He can’t seem to function or complete a full thought in his mind much less verbalize it. Marcel is silent, so focused and concentrated on the task ahead. He’s grateful Louis is not asking questions but he knows that once the shock has worn off, Louis will ask and being Louis, he will not stop until he is satisfied and then he will unleash hell on Marcel. 

When Marcel opens the travel case, inside are some clothing belonging to Louis, an extra pair of shoes, slippers, a sweater and toiletries. Louis’ mouth drops open when he sees this. He doesn’t recall ever packing a travel case since they had absolutely no plans to travel anywhere in the near future. Not with him being six months along and them preparing to welcome their first child shortly. Marcel leaves the bedroom and goes to his small home office and opens one drawer, removing the small false bottom he’d installed himself one day when Louis was working at the pub. In it are two large yellow envelopes, the first addressed to Louis and the second addressed to his brothers. There are 2 cell phones included in the drawer along with a smaller zip-up case containing money. Thousands of dollars he’d been secretly squirreling away since the day he’d first decided to stay in Mullingar. It was as if deep down inside, he had always known his past would catch up to him. He had not expected it to happen this soon and certainly not while his mate was heavily pregnant with his child. He takes those items out and returns to the bedroom where he can see Louis is beginning to get his wits about him.

“Marcel, what…”

“Not now Louis. I promise I’ll explain everything to you but right now, I need you to get dressed quickly. Dress warm.”

“But…”

“NOT NOW LOUIS! JUST DO WHAT I SAY AND GET DRESSED!”

He had not meant to use his alpha voice on Louis but it is effective and though Louis’ eyes give away his shock and hurt as well as anger, Marcel knows he’s doing what’s best for his mate and his pup. This is their best shot at being able to survive the mess he created when he left. Marcel notes that Louis goes to obey, his movements slow and methodical as he undresses and puts on clothing that’s comfortable. Assured that this is the best they can do on such short notice, Marcel takes Louis’ cellphone which is charging along with his and with a strength Louis didn’t even realize he had, he breaks them both in half before depositing them both in a glass of water Louis habitually keeps on the nightstand in case he gets thirsty at night. He takes the phones out of the zip-up case and powers them both on, grateful he had the foresight to charge them a few days ago. He had been very meticulous about this. He’d bought the phones under a false name and had kept them charged though never used. It was this paranoia that he hoped would save their lives. Inside the envelopes were letters. The one addressed to Louis was a letter detailing what he needed to do and where he needed to go. He planned on giving this information to Louis verbally but he knew he would be throwing so much information at him at the same time, it would be better to also have it written down. The thicker one addressed to his brothers gave much more detail about what led to his decision, what had happened and the new life he had with Louis. He had been careful to update the letter every 3 months out of paranoia so at least he mentioned Louis’ pregnancy in it. It also detailed and gave his reasoning and explanation of the dark business dealings of their parents company, Ari’s family and how it ultimately had led to this moment in time. The hardest part for him had been to write to the brothers who thought him dead and ask them to please, he begged them to protect Louis and his unborn child. Regardless of what happened to him, he was trusting his brothers would care for his mate and their pup. He knew it was a lot to ask of them and he knew they’d be furious, betrayed and perhaps even resentful towards Louis but as long as they did what Marcel was hoping they’d do, he could rest easy knowing Louis would be in good hands. 

“We need to go now.”

Taking Louis by the hand, Marcel grabs the travel case and the wet phones and pulls Louis towards the back door. Looking at his watch, he estimates they’d taken half an hour since he’d received the phone call. They should still be in the clear. He makes sure he shuts off the light in their bedroom as they walk carefully. To his credit, Louis remains silent through all this as Marcel leads him out to the car. Helping him in, Marcel makes sure he’s buckled in before starting the car and leaving. It pains him to know that they won’t be returning anytime soon (if ever at all) but it’s for the best. As they pull away, he opens the screen on his phone and begins to type something in. Louis seems to be frozen, unsure of what to say and Marcel can smell the fear rolling off of him. His hands are protectively holding the swell of his bump, as if he’s trying to shield their baby from whatever is making Marcel react the way he is. As soon as he’s finished with whatever he’s doing on his phone, Marcel places a hand over Louis and it hurts him when he feels Louis flinch.

“I’m so sorry baby. I really. I wish it hadn’t come to this but right now, I need you to listen to me. Listen carefully because we don’t have a lot of time. Please. Please try to understand me and don’t hate me too much Lou.”

“What?”

Those words managed to finally snap Louis out of his confused and scared stupor.

“Why would I hate you Marcel? I could never hate you.”

“Just listen please.”

Exhaling a big sigh, Marcel steels himself as he prepares to tell Louis all about himself.

“My name isn’t Marcel Selley. My real name is Marcel Styles.”

Louis jerks as he shifts to look at Marcel, his mouth open to ask a question when Marcel raises his hand to forestall his inevitable questions. 

“My name is Marcel Styles. I have 2 brothers, Edward and Harry. We’re triplets Lou. I’m a triplet. Before we met, I lived a privileged life. Wealthy. Privileged. I was at university with plans to perhaps go into politics. That all changed when my parents decided that my brothers and I needed to find a mate. It started when we turned 18. They would make casual comments and introduce us to omegas but we never took it seriously. When we turned 19, the pressure was on. By the time we turned 20, my brothers had caved to the demands of our parents. They all agreed to mate with a young woman also from a similar background. Except they never bothered to ask me. They just assumed I would follow along with their plans. I’m a triplet Lou. I’m one third of a whole and to have my brothers betray me this way was more than I could stand. I pulled away from them and from my family, drowning in my own misery. My life was spiraling out of my control until I caved. I just couldn't fight them anymore. I finally gave my permission to be mated to an omega I barely knew and had not spoken more than a handful of words to just to appease my parents and my brothers. Doing so damaged my relationship with them and I cut them off completely from my life. I only spoke to them when necessary and avoided all contact with my family unless it was absolutely necessary for me to see them and talk to them. One day, her brother contacted me and wanted to talk. She too was feeling like I was. She was overwhelmed, drowning and desperate to break off the plan to mate and bond with us. She had found her alpha and wanted nothing more than to be with him. I could not deny her this happiness that was so elusive in my life until then. The problem is that my family and hers had some less than desirable business dealings. I don’t know the extent of what they were into but drugs were involved. Trafficking of some kind. They had links and ties to organized crime. The kinds of things that would certainly get them all put in prison for the rest of their lives. Frank was aware and clued me in to all this. I always had inklings that our family wasn’t always on the straight and narrow but this was more than I had expected to find. It was terrifying. Neither of our family would let us ever back away from this arrangement. The only way for us to be free was to fake our deaths, so we did. Frank is a security expert and helped us forge new identities and lives, well away from the reach of our families. Frank has done a remarkable job all these years keeping us away from their sights but he called. That number? Pizza Union? That was his code for me and for her. A number only to be contacted if it was a dire emergency. If that number ever showed up on my Caller ID, I always knew it would not be for good reasons. And I was right. Frank called and alerted me that someone now knows I’m still alive. If they know I’m alive, they must also know she’s alive and there will be severe consequences for both of us after what we pulled. I’m easily expendable and who’s to say she isn’t if our actions caused them pain and humiliation? My parents died a few years ago. I have no way of knowing if that was a real accident or made to look like an accident. That day when I collapsed at the pub. That’s what happened to me that day. They were killed in a crash and I felt it. I felt my brother’s grief. My brother Edward would be in charge now but I know Edward. He’s not one to stand idly by and partake in illegal activities. Of that I’m 100% certain. Which is why I’m sending you to my brothers Lou.”

“WHAT? No! Marcel, whatever is going on, I can help you. We can stay together and figure this out!”

“NO! Absolutely not! You don’t understand Lou. I don’t know what I’m dealing with here. I don’t know what I’m up against but I know Frank and if he is warning me to run, I know it can’t be good. Please Lou. Please. Listen to me. I would never deliberately place you in danger and I’m so sorry I already did with this mess I created. I need to learn and clean this up. I can’t do that if I’m terrified and worried something is going to happen to you and our pup.”

“I can stay with Niall and Greg and…”

“No! Lou. These people coming after me? They mean business. I don’t know what they would want with me but I will not take the chance that something could happen to you. Greg could not protect you from them. My brothers can. Please Lou. Do this for me. For our pup.”

Louis stares blindly as they drive, his mind trying hard to come to terms with everything he’d just learned about Marcel. His mind keeps zeroing in on one detail.

“You lied to me.”

Marcel looks sharply at Louis and nods, his face weary and suddenly so sad.

“I’m sorry Lou. I’m sorry I lied to you about who I am and my life but I’m not sorry I met you. For the first time in my life, I’m happy. It took me going to these extremes to find you and I’m not sorry we met. I’m not sorry we mated and I can never be sorry we are having a pup. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love anyone. I hope in time you can forgive me for lying to you and for dragging you into this mess.”

Louis just sighs, so tired. In the span of an hour his life had been turned on its axis and he was so unsure of his footing. 

“What happens now? Where are you taking me?”

“The airport. You will fly to London. I’ve written my brothers’ address on the envelope with your name inside of it. There’s also a few things for you in there that you may need including money. More than enough for you and our pup should it be needed but I am certain you won’t. My brothers will care for you.”

“You’re placing a lot of faith on two men who have believed you were dead for years. What makes you think they won’t toss me out on my ear when they hear my story.”

“They won’t. Give them the envelope. There’s a letter addressed to them inside of it with an explanation for the things that I’ve done. You’ll be safe with them. Just do this Lou. Go to that address. There’s a six digit code written underneath the address. That’s the security code for the gate and the house should you need it. I doubt they’ve changed my code despite all the years that have gone by. Your passport is in the envelope as well. You’ll need it to fly out.”

No other words are spoken between them as they continue driving west. Soon enough, they start to see the signs for the airport just as the sky starts to change from a deep inky black to an indigo blue as the sun slowly begins to make its ascent into the sky. When they arrive, Marcel stops at the passenger drop off, a heavy weight on his heart as he knows this will be the last time he sees Louis for a while. Getting out of the car, he sees Louis struggling to keep his composure, still unsure and afraid but ultimately deciding to trust his alpha. He helps Louis exit the car then takes the travel case out and places it by Louis’ feet. He holds Louis close, scenting him as they stand there together for a few more moments before Marcel knows he has to go. He can’t risk having Louis out in the open like this.

“Trust me Lou. I’ll get this resolved as soon as I can and I promise you. I’ll come back for you. I’ll come back and we will be a family again and I will never lie to you again. I promise. I love you so much.”

Louis can’t respond. His slender shoulders shake from his own sobs. They stay that way until Marcel finally pulls away, kissing Louis and placing his hands on the swell of his belly, smiling through his own tears when he feels their pup kick his hands as if in protest.

“I love you both so much. I’ll be back. I promise. Now go. There’s a ticket waiting for you under the name Louis Selley. Go. I love you.”

Louis stands on his tiptoes and kisses Marcel once more before moving to leave. He stares at Marcel, mouthing I Love You to him before hurrying inside the airport. He doesn’t stop and turn around to see if Marcel was still standing there watching him. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Marcel drives away, heading southeast as he ponders where to go next. He needed to create distance between himself and Mullingar. On a whim he decides to head to Cork. Once there, he would plan his next steps but first, he pulls out his phone and looks at the four numbers he had pre saved on his phone. Louis. Frank. Edward. Harry. He sends a quick text to Frank first.

<Pizza Union: Order successfully received. Thank you.>

His text served dual purposes. It let Frank know he was safe and it also gave Frank a number to contact him with should it be necessary.

If Louis were to search his own phone, he’d find Niall’s number as well as Harry and Edward’s. For his own safety, he had not included his own number on there. He kept driving, the sun rising as he made his way to Cork.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The short flight to London was uneventful though Louis could barely remember much of it. It all passed by in a blur as he boarded, as they took off and landed. His mind kept dwelling on what Marcel had told him. All his words and his story. Brothers. Marcel had brothers. He was struggling to understand everything he had been told. He tried to distract himself by turning on his new phone and downloading his photos from the cloud. All his contacts were gone but he easily solved that. The only thing new was his number. That’s when he noticed the new numbers added. Edward Styles. Harry Styles. It was all becoming too much for him.When he finally gets off the plane, he’s grateful for his travel case and that it’s a carry one so he doesn’t have to waste time at the luggage carousel. It’s only then that he takes out the envelope with the address. Staring at it for a moment, he recognizes the area he’s going to. Christ. Marcel’s family wasn’t just wealthy. They were on a whole different level of wealth. The type he’d only ever seen on the telly. He hails a taxi and gives them the address. The drive doesn’t take long. It’s less than an hour before the taxi pulls up to an estate that has Louis’ eyes bugging out. The taxi pulls up and Louis exits, paying the driver along with a generous tip. Going up to the panel, he types in the code Marcel had given him and is surprised when it works. The gates silently open as he picks up his case and nervously begins to walk up the long secluded driveway. He only turns around when he hears the gates closing behind him. Steeling himself, he walks as quickly as his swollen belly would let him and it’s minutes later before he finds himself standing before the large double doors of the estate. Shaking, he raises his hand and presses the doorbell, waiting anxiously and looking around and behind him constantly, nervous. It’s as if Marcel’s paranoia was now rubbing off on him. He’s about to ring again when the door opens and an older matronly woman opens the door, surprise etched on her face. Usually visitors are buzzed at the gate but this omega had somehow managed to bypass the gates and entered. Frowning slightly at that thought, she gives him her full attention.

“May I help you? Are you lost dear?”

Louis shakes his head, struggling to form the right words. She notices he’s shaking and looks scared. Against her own training, she opens the door wider and places a gentle hand on his arm and gently pulls him to come inside. Louis only expels a breath when the door is closed behind him. 

“What’s wrong dear? Do you need help? Should I call someone? Your mate perhaps?”

Louis makes a small sound of distress when she mentions his mate. A sound she hears and realizes something is very wrong with the omega. Taking his hand and picking up his travel case herself, she leads him into the sitting room and instructs him to wait right there. She speeds up to the kitchen and orders for a cup of tea to be prepared then goes to the dining room where Edward and Harry are just finishing their breakfast.

“Who was at the door Lydia?”

“Sirs. I’m not quite certain. There’s an omega, a pregnant omega clearly in distress. I don’t know how he bypassed the security at the gates. He’s in the sitting room right now, agitated and terrified. Should I call the police? He became increasingly agitated when I mentioned calling his mate.”

Curious, both of them rise to go see the omega themselves. 

“Don’t call them just yet. Let’s see what this is all about.”

“Alright. He’s a lovely thing really. Almost delicate but so afraid.”

Both brothers walk to the sitting room, opening the door and seeing the back of the omega who is standing by the fireplace, looking at the family portrait, almost frozen as he stares at the family portrait done years ago when Marcel was still alive. His hand is covering his mouth as he tries hard not to let his emotions get the best of him. Both of them are immediately assaulted by a combination of scents that leave them reeling. The first is that of strawberries, honeysuckle and chocolate but it’s combined with a scent they haven’t smelled in years. Marcel’s scent. It’s a shock to their systems because no alpha’s ever shared scents. Each one was unique even amongst siblings, twins and triplets. This omega smelled of Marcel. Edward is the first to recover from the initial shock.

“Hello.”

Louis starts and turns as he gets his first look at Marcel’s brothers. His eyes widen when the full impact of what had happened hit him. He’s staring at mirror images of Marcel. One had long hair pulled back in a bun and the other had his curls worn short. Both were staring at him confused. Remember what Marcel had instructed him to do, Louis pulls out the envelope addressed to his brothers. He clears his throat before he can speak to them.

“This is for you. He asked me to give it to you. Please. Take it.”

Wary, Harry reaches out to take the envelope from the omega before Edward stops him.

“Who are you? Your scent…”

A single solitary tear rolls down Louis’ cheek at the question.

“My name is Louis. Louis Tomlinson. My mate. My mate is your brother. Marcel.”

Harry pales at his words while Edward scoffs. 

“I don’t know who you are but get out before we call the police. Our brother passed away years ago.”

Louis shakes his head defiantly.

“No. He didn’t. Please. He wrote you a letter. Read it. Take this!”

To further prove his claim, he pulls out his phone, grateful he had the foresight to download his pictures back on his new phone. Opening it to his camera roll, he holds his phone up for them to see, their eyes widening as they realize what they’re looking at. Edward takes the envelope and Harry takes his phone. Picture after picture shows Louis and Marcel together. Harry stops at the one showing what was clearly a reception for a bonding ceremony. Marcel and Louis’ bonding ceremony. The date was stamped and he clearly remembered now. The day him and Edward had felt that strange bond form. The one they were never successful in getting rid of. They’re interrupted when the housekeeper returns with a cup of tea in her hand. Before she can hand it to Louis, Edward stops her.

“Lydia, please take Louis to one of the guest rooms. Rest. Sleep. We need time to read this and process this. Please. We need some time.”

Louis looks surprised but nods and follows her out. He’s stopped by a hand on his elbow. Turning, he sees a devastated Harry holding out his phone to give back to him. Taking it with a softy murmured Thank you, he leaves with the housekeeper and prays he can get some sleep before he has to face them again.

Downstairs, Harry and Edward stand in shock, clutching the envelope before reading it. Harry collapses on one couch and Edward continues to stand, angry at his brother for the hell he put them through and for what he's asking them to do.


	8. Wounded

_ My dearest brothers _

_ I have had years to think upon what I’ve done and how things could have been different for us. I have no right to ask you for anything and yet right now, I must ask you both for the biggest favor I will ever ask of you. _

_ If you are reading this, you have met my mate and the love of my life, Louis. Louis was one of the first people I met in Ireland after I faked my death. He is my light and my life and carries my child. Please understand that up until just a short time ago, Louis knew nothing of my life before he met me. Circumstances forced me to have to flee but I cannot in good conscience drag my pregnant innocent omega with me. His very life and the life of our child is in danger. _

_ Edward, if you are at the helm of the company now (as I am certain you are), you are aware of the kinds of people our family did business with. These are the same people that are now after me. I promise to explain this further and Louis can probably fill in a few pieces since I will have told him because Louis is also stubborn, fiery and doesn’t give up or give in without reason. Once this is over, once it is safe for me to contact you, I will. I owe you and Harry an explanation as to what I did, why I did it and I know I owe Louis an explanation as well. I also owe the three of you more apologies than I can count. _

_ You are both likely feeling very extremely angry and betrayed but I must ask you to please put those feelings aside for the sake of my Louis and our pup. Neither of them deserve to suffer for my mistakes and yet that is exactly what is happening.  _

_ Please take care of them both until I am able to return. Please protect them from the danger I have inadvertently brought into their lives. _

_ Edward, Louis has a large yellow envelope addressed to you both. Inside is the information I have been able to gather regarding some of the business dealings our parents had prior to their death and some of the people involved. If you contact Frank Grande, he can fill you in on what he knows. He was the one that helped Ari and I all those years ago and if you are reading this, he is the one that saved the life of Louis, our pup and myself. _

_ I am truly sorry for the damage and harm I have caused and I’m even more sorry I screwed things up so much. Despite everything, I love you both so much. Even being with Louis could never fill the hole in my heart from your absence in my life. _

_ I will contact you as soon as I can. _

_ Love, _

_ Marcel _

  
  


Edward and Harry read the letter several times, wondering how this could be happening. Their dead brother was actually alive and now he was on the run because shady characters were after him and they were being asked to play bodyguard for an omega they don’t know but who was going to give birth to their brother’s pup.

“We’re trapped in some terrible soap opera we can’t escape from. I need to call the restaurant. I won’t be going in today.”

“Yeah. Shit. Let me call the office. I’ll have Liam take my meetings today. Fuck. Goddammit Marcel.”

“We also need to talk about what to do with the omega. He’s…”

“I know. I can feel him too.”

Though they don’t finish their sentences, they can sense Louis’ sadness, his hurt and his fear. Both brothers make phone calls to their respective workplaces as they try desperately to figure out what to do with the omega upstairs and the newfound knowledge about their wayward brother.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Upstairs, Louis sits on the edge of the bed staring blindly out the large bay windows in the room he was given. It’s large, almost as big as their small cottage in Mullingar. The bed is huge, sumptuous and elegant. It’s a beautiful sleigh bed with intricate carvings along the curve of the headboard. The entire room is decorated in soft blues and grays. It’s a calming room designed for maximum comfort and relaxation. Two things Louis does not feel. He’s an omega. Even being far away from where the twins are at he can sense their anger and distress as well as pain. The cup of tea given to him by the housekeeper is in his hands keeping his hands warm. He takes slow sips hoping the hot liquid helps him settle. He’s barely hanging on to his composure but he’s tired, feeling overwhelmed, scared and right now, his pup is deciding he’s had enough. Without warning, a familiar sensation hits him. He drops his cup of tea, ignoring the liquid spilling onto the floor and races to the bathroom to throw up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry and Edward finish their calls to work, their minds still overwhelmed with the enormity of what they’d found out. In unison, they decide to go talk to Louis. They hear the sounds of him being sick when they reach the door. Cautiously, Harry opens the door and sees the spilled teacup and hears the sounds of the toilet flushing. Both brothers stand awkwardly by the door until Louis finishes rinsing out his mouth and the taste of his own sickness. He stops when he sees the brothers, all three standing awkwardly for a long moment before Louis breaks the silence.

“Sorry about that. Morning sickness isn’t relegated to mornings. It can strike at any time.”

Harry feels immediately stricken and sorry for the omega. Despite his feelings towards his brother and the situation, he would never be cruel to an omega and he had a soft spot for pregnant omegas.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. We wanted to talk to you. Would you care to join us in the living room?”

Louis nods, going to his case and pulling out the large yellow envelope Marcel had given to him. He hands it to the stern brother, unsure of which one was Harry and which one was Edward. He follows them out, smiling slightly as they go down the stairs and he feels someone’s hand on his elbow.

“Marcel used to do the same thing to me. It always made me laugh because he was the clumsy one yet he would always get hurt while trying to keep me from getting hurt.”

The mere mention of Marcel suddenly drops all their moods. The conversation they had to have was not going to be fun for any of them. When they reach the living room, a tray with more tea, water and snacks await them. It’s yet another stark reminder for Louis that the life Marcel walked away from was painfully different than the life they led together. Accepting another cup of tea from Harry, he’s amused when he sees Harry fill a plate and place it on the side table next to Louis. This alpha was clearly more of a nurturer, similar in nature to Marcel. Louis takes a sip of tea hoping to calm himself as they all sit in silence. It’s Harry who breaks the silence between them.

“How did you meet Marcel?”

“Oh. He came into the pub where I was working one day. He was just another traveler. Quiet. Didn’t say much. He came in a few times. I swear to you. I never knew he had a family. Whenever I tried to get him to talk about it, he’d get quiet and so sad. We all formed the impression he’d lost his family fairly recently for him to react as he did.”

Harry shakes his head at Louis’ words, not because he doesn’t believe him but rather because he does and it hurts him to know his brother went to such lengths to pretend they didn’t exist anymore.

“Enough with the pleasantries. Omega, what exactly happened this morning? Walk us through everything that happened, everything you can remember and everything Marcel told you.”

“Louis. My name is Louis. If you want me to talk to you in a civil fashion, you will address me by my name and not my secondary gender.”

Edward is slightly taken aback at the words coming from the omega. For a minute, both of them stare at each other, both of them immediately hostile towards each other. Edward because he wants something, someone to blame and Louis is the easy target and Louis does not like how high-handed this brother is. Edward finally tilts his head in acknowledgement of Louis’ words.

“Louis. Can you please tell us what happened.”

“I’ll tell you what I know and what Marcel told me. It isn’t much but perhaps it will make more sense to you than it did to me.”

With accurate detail, Louis tells them everything he remembers, from the several phone calls from the Pizza Union number to Marcel’s behavior. He tells them of his own surprise that Marcel had planned for this eventuality so they didn’t waste much time. It was almost as if Marcel knew their time together would be cut short. He’s getting frustrated with Edward who keeps hammering him with questions, sometimes asking them several times but worded differently as if expecting him to change his story. 

“Edward, that’s enough. He’s told you all he knows. Badgering him about it isn’t going to change the situation.”

“How do we know he’s telling the truth? How do we know this letter and this proof aren’t all fabrications just to try and get money from us? How do we even know that thing he’s carrying is our brother’s baby?”

A sharp slap echoes through the room, a red handprint welt on Edward’s face as Louis stands before him, furious.

“I don’t care who you are or what your problem is but you will never insult my pup or me again. Do you hear me? You bloody arrogant bastard. I never asked for money or for your help. If I’m here it’s because your brother made me promise to come. I will not waste my time trying to convince your arrogant arse otherwise.”

Turning to look at Harry, Louis takes his hand and gives it a small squeeze.

“Thank you for your hospitality. It was a pleasure to meet you even under these miserable circumstances. I won’t trouble either of you anymore.”

Completely ignoring Edward, Louis hurries out of the room leaving the brothers in shock. 

“Goddammit Edward! What were you thinking? We can’t let him leave!”

Edward buries his hands in his face for a moment before standing up and follows Harry out. When they reach the guest room, the first thing they realize is that Louis’ travel case is gone. 

“Well, shit Edward. Nice going.”

Rushing towards the front door, they quickly open it and see Louis’ smaller figure hurrying down the driveway with his travel bag hanging over his shoulder. 

Louis hears his name being called but he doesn’t stop. All he can think about is leaving and finding a hotel or something. He can rest and then figure out what he’s going to do. Returning to Mullingar is out of the question. Maybe he could go south and figure things out there for a while. He ignores the call of his name as he reaches the gate. 

“Shit. How do I open this?”

There was no box or something to punch in the code to allow him to open it. It must be automatic for cars but how do regular walking people get out? He wonders if he can climb out and over before he spots a small side door. Brightening, he ignores the rapid pounding of footsteps as he walks over to the door. Wrenching it open, he’s about to step out when a hand reaches out and shuts it. 

“Hey! What the hell is your problem?”

Edward and Harry are there, each of them not even winded from they had to catch up to Louis.

“We’re sorry Louis. Things just escalated. Edward didn’t mean anything he said.”

“Bullshit. Yes he did not let me go. I can take care of myself and my pup just fine. I’m sorry for disturbing your life. Now fuck off and let me go.”

Once again wrenching the door, Louis overcompensates and stumbles as he pulls it open. 

At that moment, a loud sound like a car backfiring or a firework going off assaults their ears. The screeching of tires is heard and Harry and Edward only see a black car hauling ass away from their estate. It takes them a moment to realize Louis has frozen, looking down at the suddenly expanding red blooming from his shirt. He starts to collapse as Edward reaches to catch him and Harry slams the gate door shut and pulls out his phone. 

Harry immediately calls for an ambulance, horror in his voice as he tries to explain to them that a pregnant omega was shot by an unknown assailant. 

“Yes I know guns are illegal but I am telling you. Someone fired and he was hit! Now hurry up and get here!”

Edward had taken off his own shirt and was pressing it to Louis’ shoulder to stem the bleeding. This was something neither brother had ever seen or dealt with before. In the distance they can hear the screams of sirens as they near the estate. Louis is deathly pale, not moving but he still has a pulse. Harry keeps checking, on the verge of panic as he realizes that they failed to do the one thing Marcel had asked of them.

They hadn’t kept Louis and the pup safe. 


	9. Just Hold On

Harry sits in the ambulance with Louis as the paramedics work to stabilize him. Edward was driving behind them in his car. All Harry can see is the copious amounts of blood despite the large amounts of gauze used to stem the bleeding. He watched as an IV drip was inserted into Louis and an oxygen mask placed over his face. He recoils when the paramedics start placing electrodes of some kind on Louis’ belly. The belly that housed his brother’s pup. Guilt swamped him as the paramedics tried desperately to find a heartbeat coming from the baby but so far they’d been unsuccessful. The only sound was that of Louis’ heartbeat and that was erratic. 

“Blood pressure dropping.”

Those three words sent the paramedics into a frenzy causing Harry to shrink back as they worked hard to ensure Louis did not crash. 

“What’s happening to him? What’s happening to Louis?”

He’s frantic, desperate for answers but he’s ignored, the priority being Louis and the pup. Most ambulances had two people but this call had been different. When the call had come in that a pregnant omega had been shot, two had been sent and now there was one driver and three others working on Louis and the pup. After what seems like an eternity to Harry, they finally ease up slightly, their eyes not leaving the monitors. One paramedic turns to Harry, her voice serious and stern.

“We need to keep him stable. If he crashes, there’s nothing we can do for him. You need to understand and be prepared for the worst. We cannot under any circumstances use a defibrillator on a pregnant omega. The shock would kill the pup. Right now, the pup is in distress because the mother is. The hospital has been notified and has a team ready to take over. We should be there in the next two minutes.”

Harry has no words for responding. He too keeps an eye on the monitors, one that has Louis’ heartbeat and the other showing the rapid heartbeat of the pup. When they finally pull into the hospital emergency area, Harry sees that the paramedics had not lied. Waiting for them is a large group of doctors and nurses. Some had never seen an actual gunshot wound or dealt with one but to see one on a pregnant omega had them all racing to help. That someone would have deliberately done this was too horrific to believe. Harry waits for them to take Louis who was going to be rushed into surgery before he is led to a private waiting room to wait for updates and news. It’s only a few minutes later that Edward rushes in after having parked the car. Harry tells him what he’d been told and both sit in silence wondering what the hell was happening. 

“I called our attorney. He will reach out to PR to handle the media. When this hits, Marcel is bound to see it. I’m hoping we can keep it quiet but considering our name and the very unusual crime of someone purposely trying to murder a pregnant omega on our doorstep? I give it by the end of the day before they’re after us for information and updates.”

Harry nods but is saved from answering when a doctor comes in to talk to them.

“I understand you’re the mates of the omega?”

Rather than try to explain, Edward just nods to make this go faster.

“He is being prepped for surgery as we speak. The bullet appears to have missed the subclavian artery but not by much. It still caused a lot of damage. Your omega has also dropped making this extremely dangerous for both him and the pup. We’re going to do everything in our power to get him stable and make sure he doesn’t go into premature labor but it’s extremely touch and go right now. I’ll send a nurse out with updates when we can. Now I must go. Be assured that our team is the best and prepared to handle cases like this.”

He walks out and all Harry and Edward can do is wait.

How long they sat and paced, neither knew. They’d received no update yet and the waiting, the not knowing was getting to them.So many thoughts and fears were going through their heads. What if Louis and the pup didn’t make it? What if only Louis survived? What if only the pup survived? What the hell did Marcel know that would make someone do this? This last question keeps them both on edge, scared for their brother, his mate and the pup.

“Mr and Mr Styles?”

Both of them turn to see an alpha standing by the door. He’s dressed in all black, a sharp contrast to the caramel color of his skin, his golden eyes and cheekbones that could cut glass. He enters and makes sure the door closes behind him before he approaches them carefully. He’s not stupid. He knows there are two alphas already on edge in the room.

“I’m Detective Malik in charge of investigating the attempted murder of your omega. I have some questions I need to ask you.”

Edward stiffens but Harry ignores him. He wants to know what the hell is going on and if this detective can help them, he will try.

“How can we help you?”

“Can you tell me what happened earlier this morning? Walk me through the events of the morning.”

“Sure. Ummm...Louis was standing by the gate. He opened it but he overcompensated. He stumbled when he opened it and that’s when we heard the sound. It sounded like fireworks or a car backfiring. We both heard and saw a car peeling away rather fast. Unfortunately we didn’t get a good look at it. We both immediately noticed something was wrong with Louis.”

“Let’s go back a little. Why was Louis by that particular gate? The walk from your front door to the gate is rather long. Why didn’t he just take a car?”

“He was angry with us. He decided to cool off and take a walk.”

“And yet he had a black travel case filled with clothing and toiletries with him.”

Edward grimaced. The detective was sharp and missed nothing. A man like this was both a blessing and a curse for them. They’re saved from answering when the door opens and the doctor comes in. He looks weary, his expression not a hopeful one. 

“Louis is out of surgery but there were some complications. As I told you earlier, Louis dropped. He managed to resurface briefly from his drop but he dropped again and is still in his omega space. We cannot bring him out of it because it would be a shock to his already overwhelmed system. The bullet was lodged in his shoulder but we were able to extricate it and it is being turned over to the police as evidence.”

“And the pup? How’s the pup doing?”

The doctor sighed. He hated this part of his job. Nothing could ever prepare you for delivering bad news to expectant parents.

“I’m sorry. We were unable to stop his body going into premature labor. The pup had to be delivered via c-section. She’s in the NICU and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Her lungs weren’t properly developed so she can’t breathe on her own. There are complications to a pup being born at only 28 weeks old. Dr. Spiro is the best neonatologist in the country. He is currently with her in the NICU. He will come talk to you as soon as he’s able. As soon as Louis is taken back to his room in the ICU, a nurse will come and get you so you can sit with him.”

He takes his leave to go back and check on Louis. 

“I’m sorry for your mate and your pup. Here’s my card. If you think of anything that could help with this. I’ll be in touch.”

Zayn leaves his card with Harry and walks out, eager to get the bullet into ballistics. There are a lot of holes and gaps in the story surrounding the omega and the Styles brothers. He had a lot of work to do. Leaving the room, he goes to collect the evidence, talk to the surgeon and then get back to work. He trusted his instincts and they were screaming at him the there were a lot of secrets here that would have to be uncovered to find out who tried to kill the omega and why.

Harry and Edward sit for a while longer in complete silence. There is immeasurable guilt between them. Someone had tried to murder their brother’s mate and now his pup was born way too early with the inability to breathe on her own. Her. They both made the connection at the same time.

“A girl.”

“A daughter. Marcel has a daughter.”

Despite everything that was happening, Harry smiled. A little girl. He loved babies and now his brother was a father to a little girl.

“Mr. Styles?”

Both of them look up to see a nurse standing at the door.

“Would you like to meet your daughter?”

They still don’t bother to correct anyone regarding the pup’s parentage as they follow her to the NICU.

“Can I get your full names please?”

“Edward Styles & Harry Styles.”

The nurse types out their names into a computer along with some information before printing out two identification bracelets.

“Hold your wrists out please.”

Both comply as she puts a bracelet on each of them.

“What are these for?”

“They’re security protocols for all newborn pups and their parents. The baby has a monitor on her ankle. Your bracelets as well as the one now on your mate are all tagged. Should anyone other than you two or your mate attempt to remove her from the NICU or your mates room, the wing goes under lockdown. It was a safety measure implemented years ago after a rash of people attempting to abduct newborn pups.”

Once she has them secure, she leads them to another room where they’re instructed to put on gowns, hair caps and face masks. Their final task is to wash their hands thoroughly before they’re allowed to enter the NICU to see the baby.

The room is hushed, the only sounds are those of the monitors beeping and the occasional mewling cry of a baby. They’re led to an incubator in the far corner where a tiny baby lays. Other than a tiny pink cap on her head and a little diaper on her small frame, she’s otherwise undressed. A series of tubes and electrodes cover her small body, each one helping her breathe, feeding her and giving the nurses and doctors the information needed on her progress. 

“You can’t hold her just yet but you can touch her. Insert your hands through the two nodules to touch her. Right now, she needs that interaction, the skin on skin contact. When she’s stronger, you’ll be able to hold her but for now, a steady touch is best. Don’t rub. Her skin is very fragile. Let her memorize your scents. Lightly scent her as it will help with her development and healing. We will also be taking her to her mum periodically so she bonds with him. If you need anything or have any questions, I’ll be at the nurse’s station right over in the center of the ward.”

She leaves them, both staring at the tiny little girl inside the incubator. A tear escapes Harry as he places one hand inside to touch her little hand. Perhaps it’s instinctive but she immediately wraps her little fist around his finger and holds as tight as she can. He gasps out a laugh and looks at Edward who finally places his hand in and puts it on her little chest, relieved to feel the slight rise and fall of her chest as she is helped to breathe by the machines. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

_ 2 days later... _

Zayn is in the forensics lab listening to the guys there talk to him about the bullet and the trajectory of the shot. Despite all the technical lingo they keep throwing at him, he can easily follow what they’re trying to tell him.

“So essentially, the omega and his pup were the target. According to the mates, he overreached and stumbled. Had that not happened, the bullet would likely have hit the pup killing it instantly and the omega would have shortly followed. The omega was in fact the target.”

“Based on our simulations and recreations, yes. That would be an accurate assumption.”

“I need to go talk to the Styles brothers again. Some things aren’t adding up.”

Zayn leaves with the thought to return to the hospital.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry and Edward are in Louis’ room sitting with him. Much like his tiny daughter, tubes are everywhere helping him live. It’s hard for them to venture between both knowing that they’re at least partially responsible for this happening. When the door to the room opens, they see a nurse, Louis’ surgeon and Dr. Spiro enters the room with the incubator that holds the baby.

“We want to try something that may help both your mate and pup. The best thing for any newborn pup and the mother is the initial bonding and skin to skin contact. Having the presence of the mate or in your case mates can also help. We are going to place the baby on Louis’ chest. Both of you very carefully position yourselves on either side of your mate and pup. Scent them both. If our theory is correct, the bonding between all of you should help bring Louis up from his drop. When he’s conscious, that will help strengthen and reinforce his bond with the pup which can help speed up her recovery.”

Willing to try anything, Harry and Edward move to either side of Louis but are stopped by Dr. Spiro.

“You’ll need to remove your shirts. This is skin on skin contact that both of them need.”

Without hesitation, both of them remove their shirts before carefully placing themselves on either side of Louis. Dr. Spiro and the nurse are careful and gentle in taking the baby out of the incubator, making sure her tubes are still in place and that nothing is dislodged. Once they’re done, the nurse leaves as does Louis’ doctor. Only Dr. Spiro remains behind making sure that the baby is secure on Louis’ chest.

“Keep a gentle but firm hold of her on your mates chest. Be careful as he is still also recovering from a c-section. Don’t put any pressure on his abdomen. We will start with short increments to help them both. Go ahead and scent them. I’ll return in about fifteen minutes to check on any progress.”

They’re left alone as they both lightly scent the baby and Louis. Time seems to fly before they’re checked on again. 

“Another fifteen and then we’ll take her back to the NICU.”

When the doctor leaves, both brothers continue their silent vigil when they’re surprised by a tiny mewling cry. Looking up, they notice the baby has started to squirm, tiny cries leaving her lips. They don’t understand what’s going on until they feel Louis begin to move. A gasp leaves Louis' mouth as he slowly opens his eyes.

“Louis? Hey. Welcome back.”

Louis is drowsy, tired and he feels strange. Something was calling to him. He hears it again. A tiny cry. His eyes snap open as he feels shifting on his bed. Edward and Harry have moved off of the bed to help Louis and the baby. 

“Hey. Meet your daughter Louis.”

He tries to speak but his lips are dry. His mouth is so dry. Edward must sense what he’s feeling because he moves to the side to get some water that was left there. He takes the water with the straw and brings it to Louis' lips. Louis takes a few sips before he feels ready to speak again.

“My daughter?”

His voice is weak but he smiles despite his pain. He had the realization that he was a mum now.

He looks at her, unable to do anything but stare. She was tiny but she was precious. He moves his hand slowly to touch her. He couldn’t believe she was here. His little girl. His and Marcel’s little girl.

“Do you have a name for her yet?”

Louis nods, taking a few breaths before telling them the name him and Marcel had decided on a long time ago if their pup had been a girl.

“Lily. Her name is Lily Anne Styles.”


	10. The Second Attempt

Zayn threw a balled up piece of paper in frustration. It had been one month since the shooting of the omega and the pup and he had gotten nowhere. The Styles had done everything in their power to block his investigation. They refused to talk to him without their attorneys and the few times he’d talked to them, they had kept silent. Their attorneys constantly advising them not to answer any questions. His other recourse was to talk to their mate but getting access to him was almost impossible. Zayn had tried to talk to him but the hospital was under strict orders that no one but his doctors, nurses and mates were allowed to enter his room. They had also hired several large and intimidating beta’s to be his bodyguards. They took shifts to ensure their mate and pup were guarded and safe during their stay at the hospital. This was pissing him off. It was holding up his investigation but as an alpha, he was offended that they would go to such extreme measures. He would never hurt an omega and they had insinuated that him talking to their mate would only hurt and derail his recovery. He had to give them credit for protecting their mate and pup but it was getting ridiculous. Even his superiors were starting to hint that perhaps Zayn should let someone either help him with the investigation or he should remove himself from it altogether.

No, he needed to talk to the omega. One way or the other, he’d find a way to get into his room at the hospital and talk to him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Shhhh...it’s ok little doll. Mumma will be back soon.”

Harry held little Lily in his arms, offering her skin to skin contact as she let out little pitiful cries. She was hungry and wanted her mum but Louis was with his doctor who was examining him after his surgeries. Though his shoulder wound had healed, he was still very weak in the arm and would continue to get physical therapy until he was back at full strength. His c-section incision was healing nicely but he still had another four weeks before he would be considered fully healed. Lily let out another little cry just as Edward entered the NICU.

“Everything ok? Here. Hand her over. You’ve had her all morning.”

Pouting, Harry planted a kiss on her nose before passing her off to a now shirtless Edward. Neither noticed nor paid attention to the nurses trying not to swoon at the sight of the two gorgeous shirtless alphas. All of them agreed that despite the horrific accident Louis had suffered, he had hit the jackpot with his mates. And the fact that one of them if not both were always there, enamored with their little girl, it was just too much for them

Edward placed little Lily on his chest, his big hand enveloping her tiny frame as he slowly rocked her.

“Is Louis in physical therapy?”

“No. He’s with his doctor so he shouldn’t be much longer.”

Edward walks with Lily a bit longer, marveling at how the circumstances had changed. Because of Louis’ injury, subsequent drop and how weak he had been after the trauma of a gunshot wound and emergency surgery, he’d been unable to hold his baby girl. The only way for skin on skin contact and bonding to happen was for one or both of the twins to sit with or lay next to Louis to hold Lily on his chest. That had been monumentally embarrassing for all of them the first few times they’d had to do it. Edward and Harry had quickly learned more about omega anatomy than they ever expected thanks to Louis and Lily. Ever respectful of boundaries, they’d let the nurse lay Lily on Louis' chest (while they averted their eyes) then she had covered them both with a light sheet before either or both of the brothers would lay there and scent them to help accelerate their healing. The first time it had happened, Louis had unexpectedly started to lactate. Though Louis had been expecting it, neither Harry nor Edward had. All they’d noticed was that the sheet was suddenly damp and the baby was squirming as she began to smell her mum’s milk. It had taken a while for all three of them to get over their embarrassment. They all wanted what was best for Lily and as unorthodox as their relationship was, it was helping. Lily no longer required a feeding tube and she was breathing on her own. They were just waiting for the doctor to give them the ok to go home. Though she was still years away from officially presenting, the fact that she was reaching milestones quicker and her healing was at an accelerated pace gave them all reason to believe she would be an alpha. They were just grateful that soon both her and Louis would be home where they would be safe. Edward had been working hard the past month to ensure new security was installed in their home as well as round the clock security personnel were there. They were not taking any risks. They’d messed up once. They weren’t going to make the same mistake twice. 

“Mr. Styles? Your mate is back in his room. If you can put the baby back in her incubator, we can take her to mum.”

“Can’t I just carry her?”

“You know the protocols. For the safety of the pup, they must be taken to mum’s room in the incubator.”

Edward gently places her back inside, smiling slightly as he sees the telltale signs of a pout and a dimple on her cheek. Little wisps of curls were starting to peek out of her little pink hat. Little Lily looked so much like them. Except her eyes. When she first opened them, they’d seen that same beautiful blue that Louis had. Though they’d been warned that the eye color of a baby could change, they didn’t think so. All of them believed she’d retain the blue just like Louis.

Once they returned to his room, Louis was gingerly walking back to his bed. The room he was now in was large, spacious and looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room. Despite all the amenities offered for his care, he really wanted to leave and go home with Lily. He was restless being in the hospital.

“Lou! What are you doing out of bed?”

“Calm down Harry. The doctor said the best way to start regaining my strength is to take short walks and regain my endurance. I only went to the bathroom. Besides, I don’t want the bed. I want to sit.”

Both brothers knew better than to try and argue with him. They’d learned quickly that Louis was stubborn and had a temper. When he sits, Harry hands him a soft boppy pillow that wraps around his waist while Edward carefully lifts Lily out of the incubator and takes her to Louis. Once she’s settled, Louis lifts his shirt to help her latch, grimacing as she does her usual routine of attacking his nipple before settling in to eat. Edward never fails to blush at this intimate moment between pup and mum while Harry loves it. It’s the most natural form of love as far as he’s concerned and he still doesn’t get why Edward acts so weird about it.

“Did the doctor say anything about when Lily and I get to go home?”

“Not yet but we haven’t seen Dr. Spiro. He wasn’t in the NICU when we were there with Lily.”

“I hope it’s soon. I’d feel more comfortable recovering there and having Lily home.”

Harry smiles to himself when he hears Louis refer to their house as home. He was only there a less than a day before all this happened but being around Edward and Harry on a daily basis had helped ease the awkwardness they felt. What was more amazing was that Louis did not blame them for what happened. He had not been angry or resentful towards them. He blamed the people who had done this and only them. Having Lily brought them close. They only thought to protect her, the youngest and newest member of the family. His thoughts are interrupted by Dr. Spiro entering the room.

“Doctor! Can we go home now?”

Laughing, the doctor stuns them when he nods.

“Yes but there are conditions.”

“What are they? We’ll do anything to be able to leave and go home.”

“First, you need help Louis. You’re still not fully healed and because of the surgery on your abdomen, you can’t lift Lily on your own without help. I don’t know how long your mates can stay home but for the next four weeks, you’re going to need help. With Lily, with basic care such as your bathing and helping you lift anything. Walking. You had two traumatic surgeries on the same day. Your recovery is not an easy one. A live-in nurse or a nanny to help you with Lily. Second, though I normally don’t do this, I will provide weekly check-ins and home visits to monitor Lily’s health. She seems to be doing just fine now but we can’t forget she was a premature baby. She must be kept as isolated from outside influences and germs until her immune system is strong enough to withstand even the smallest cold. That means no one other than yourself, your mates and your nurse or nanny should be allowed to hold her. At the slightest hint that something isn’t right, you bring her in. The same goes for you. If you feel strange or unwell, come in. Can you do those things for me?”

“Absolutely doctor.”

“If you can follow these guidelines, I will agree to your release tomorrow.”

Louis’ smile just brightens the room. He can leave the hospital. He can take his little girl home. He looks down, shifting her so she nurses on the other side. He bites back the urge to tease Edward. He’s noticed how awkward Edward gets when he nurses Lily in front of him while Harry takes it all in stride. When Dr. Spiro leaves the room, Louis shifts slightly and wonders how to broach something that’s been on his mind for a while. Oddly enough, both Harry and Edward seem to be somewhat attuned to him. A holdover from his bond with Marcel perhaps.

“What’s on your mind Lou?”

“It’s just...I wanted to thank you both.”

Confused, Harry and Edward look at each other before looking back at Louis who is now shifting a sleepy Lily to burp her, wincing as he feels a tug in his lower abdomen and his shoulder from the movement. Moving quickly, Harry goes to take Lily from Louis while Edward helps Louis stand to return to the bed. He’s still weak, weaker than he cares to admit. While Harry places Lily over his shoulder to burp her, Edward helps adjust Louis’ bed and pillows until he can sigh in relief from the pressure off of his abdomen and shoulder.

“I appreciate all you have done for us. You could have washed your hands of us but you didn’t. You’ve both been there for Lily and I from the moment she was born. I know she’s not your daughter and I don’t want you to think I’m trying to pass her off as yours simply because passing me off as your mate was easier than dealing with the fallout from the truth of what really happened. I’m sorry that I somehow brought this mess to your doorstep and now you’re saddled with the omega your brother left behind and the child he’s yet to meet.”

Tears are welling up and his throat is starting to close. It’s almost an unspoken agreement between them to not talk about Marcel. Not because they’re ashamed, angry or embarrassed but because each of them is dealing with the hurt he caused them all. 

“Louis. Listen to me. Neither Harry nor I regret any of this. Well, we regret that you were shot and Lily was born early but being here with both of you? We don’t regret this. Marcel asked us to protect you both and we failed to do so. We fucked up once but we won’t let it happen again. We’re going to take you both home and we’re going to find Marcel. We’re going to get to the bottom of this ok? Now don’t worry about a thing. Rest now. I’m going to make some phone calls to make sure your rooms are ready and cleaned before we bring you both home. I also need to check on a few things for work. I can easily work from home some days and Harry and I will trade off. One of us will always be with you. If for some reason we can’t be, the house is secure and no one is allowed in. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

Edward leaves the room as Harry continues to burp Lily, smiling when he hears the tiny sound coming from her. 

“Louis, just to piggyback off of what Edward said. We know Marcel fathered her. He’s our brother. A big part of us even if he can’t be with us right now. We happily stand in for him as surrogate fathers to Lily. And technically, we’re triplets. We share DNA so she’s ours too.”

Louis blushed at Harry’s words. This wasn’t something they’d discussed before even though all three of them were aware of the truth of Harry’s words. He tried hard not to dwell on this statement of fact. He knew that by law, Lily was considered to be their daughter even if they knew that Marcel was the one who fathered her. It was still difficult for him to come to terms that they’d opened their home to him and his child at the behest of the brother who was now missing. They were giving him a home, protection and a name for Lily. Even now her birth certificate had them listed as the fathers and neither of them had batted an eyelash when they nurse had requested their signatures for the official documents. Though he accepted it for now, he firmly believed Marcel would one day return and they’d be able to change things and have him be her father. His mate. And brother to Harry and Edward. 

He watched Harry place Lily back in her little incubator and ring for the nurse to take her back.

“Get some sleep Lou. I’m going to see where Edward’s off to. Tomorrow, we all go home.”

Louis shifts slowly to get comfortable and watches as a nurse comes in to take the baby, Harry following closely to make sure she’s alright. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The figure in surgeon’s scrubs watches as Harry leaves. He’d been unable to get close to Louis but now, he saw his opportunity. Both brothers were gone and his security was gone for the moment. He knew he only had a short time so he had to make it count. Placing the surgeons mask over his face, he walks confidently to the room and enters it, careful not to attract any attention. 

Removing the mask, he moves quietly to the sleeping omega. He watches as the omega shifts restlessly, frowning as if uncomfortable. He places his hand over Louis’ mouth and watches as his eyes open in panic. 

Louis’ flails as he realizes what’s happening. Fear shoots through him until he looks at the person covering his mouth and nose. The pressure is getting to him as he struggles to remove the hand of the person who is not letting him breathe. Tears come to his eyes as his struggles, terrified and heartbroken that these are his final moments. All he can think of is his Lily. Is she safe? Is she protected? His thoughts are broken by the sound of a loud growl before the hand is abruptly removed and the assailant is tossed against the wall of his room. Louis gasps for breath as more running is heard and his room is suddenly a hive of activity.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?”

Harry and Edward along with medical personnel enter the room just as Zayn is handcuffing the man in the scrubs.

“This piece of shit was trying to suffocate and kill your omega. I came to speak to Louis and caught him in the act of smothering him.

There was no denying the statement. Louis was in near panic, anxious and struggling to get his breath back. As if in silent communication, Harry races to the NICU to make sure Lily is alright leaving Edward to deal with a panicking Louis and the police.

He watches helplessly as Louis is given oxygen before turning his attention to the beta now in the custody of Zayn.

“I’ve called for more reinforcements. This bastard may not be alone.”

Edward is furious. This was twice now they’d come after Louis. Turning to the doctors and Harry who has returned holding Lily safely in his arms, he issues his own set of orders.

“Get whatever he needs now. We’re taking him home immediately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to all of them.  
> Now, I know everyone is wondering where Marcel is. Soon...  
> Next chapter, the return of NIALL!


	11. The Wrath of Niall

To say that Edward had prepared was an understatement. Being released from the hospital hours after Edward had demanded it was a production in and of itself. Huge black cars waited for them outside the back entrance where staff usually came in and out of. Bodyguards were squarely in place as Louis was wheeled to the open SUV, Lily in his arms. He was quickly ushered into the car, Harry with him while Edward drove in another car with Liam who was assessing him on some updates in regards to what he’d been researching about their company. Only Liam knew the extent of what was happening and the sketchy history of the late Mr. and Mrs. Styles. Only he knew who Louis really was and all about Marcel’s situation. Louis strapped Lily carefully into her carseat then sat back as Harry leaned over and carefully placed the seatbelt around Louis. He was gentle and good to avoid his still healing wounds. As the cars leave the hospital, Louis notices there’s a lot of them. He’s in one with Harry. Edward is in another. He sees that detective, Zayn get into his own car to follow them. There’s at least two more cars with private security that he can see but soon decides to place his focus entirely on Lily. Keeping her safe was his priority. He was going to trust that Edward and Harry were doing everything to ensure their safety. He knew they’d been working on security for the house but it wasn’t until they pulled in that he began to realize just how extensive their security went. 

The massive gates had security cameras mounted with Harry telling him that there were others hidden around the outside of the property. Harry told him that motion sensors were placed throughout the property now, the gate codes had all been changed including Marcel’s, private security was now actively monitoring the estate and that if and when Louis had to leave for doctor appointments or other things like that, he would have his own personal driver and bodyguard. They were taking no chances on his safety or that of Lily. Though Louis felt a bit claustrophobic at the idea of all the additional personnel and security measures, looking at his little girl helped ease his worries. Plus, having just given birth, he knew he wouldn’t want to leave the estate for a while anyway. 

When they reach the front of the estate, Louis waits for the door to be opened by the driver. Harry exits first and reaches in to take the carrier attached to the carseat. Louis unbuckles and carefully exits the car before both are quickly ushered into the house. It’s only when they’re inside and sitting in the living room that Louis feels relieved. Harry places the carrier on the ground and unstraps Lily, carefully taking her out of the carseat, placing a kiss on her nose before handing her back to Louis. He settles in comfortably with Lily in his arms and prepares to nurse her as the housekeeper brings him tea. To his surprise, Edward enters the room with Liam and Zayn. The three men freeze at the sight of Louis sitting, nursing his pup while Harry smiles at the sight. Liam and Zayn immediately turn around to give Louis privacy and Edward still hasn’t gotten used to the sight. Louis rolls his eyes and motions for Harry to hand him the little pink receiving blanket with yellow flowers to cover himself up. When he does, Harry stifles a laugh at the three men who are still standing awkwardly, looking everywhere else but at Louis.

“You three are ridiculous. I’m nursing my pup. It’s natural and normal. Stop acting like knotheads and behave like Harry. This doesn’t bother him in the slightest. For your virginal eyes, I’ve covered up so you can talk to me without the sight of my chest and Lily feeding won’t be so embarrassing or offensive. For the record, this is the only time I’ll do this. The next time you walk in and see me nursing her, either act like alphas and accept it or get out. I won’t starve my child just to spare your delicate sensibilities.”

Harry was outright howling with laughter at the end of Louis’ speech while Edward was flushed. Liam had turned around and was staring at the floor while Zayn suddenly found the ceiling to be interesting.

“Well? I can only assume you’re here to talk to me about something. Since no one is bothering with introductions, my name is Louis Tomlinson...Styles.”

His words seem to finally get through to the men so they all sit, no one quite sure where to begin until Edward finally starts to help them piece things together.

Louis, this is Detective Zayn Malik. He’s been investigating your shooting. This is Liam Payne, he's the Chief Operating Officer of our family’s company. Liam knows all about, well, everything. I told him what’s going on and I briefed Detective Malik after today. He’s not happy with me but has agreed to not charge me for obstruction of justice if we start to cooperate with his investigation. Zayn wants to talk to you about you know.”

“I don’t know anything. I’ve told you what little I know Edward.”

Zayn leans forward, his eyes intent on Louis.

“You may know more than you realize. No one was closer to Marcel than you. You may have inadvertently overheard something or seen something that at the time wasn’t a big deal to you but it may be a big clue now.”

Louis thinks back but he really can’t pinpoint anything Marcel would have said that was different or out of the ordinary. Feeling Lily unlatch, he casually shifts her to the other side, missing the look of glee on Harry’s face while the other three again find somewhere else to look until he’s covered up.

“Marcel never liked talking about his life prior to when I met him. I believed for years he’d lost his family. It wasn’t until that day that he confessed it all to me. How he faked his death, all about his brothers. I didn’t even know he was a triplet for gods sake.”

“Louis, I need you to do something for me.”

Louis looks at Zayn warily, not willing to trust anyone outside of Harry and Edward just yet.

“Can you show me the letter Marcel left for you.”

Louis stiffens and shakes his head.

“Please Louis. There may be something there that’s important. I’m not trying to be a voyeur or anything but this is important. I don’t want to get a warrant but I will if I need to.”

Now Harry and Edward stand, furious at the turn this has taken.

“What the fuck? No Detective. We agreed to cooperate but you will not threaten him.”

“I’m not threatening him. This is important and you have impeded enough in this investigation. It’s been a month since it happened. A month. Do you know how much time the other side has had to remove all evidence? To give a new identity to the shooter or shooters so even if we had a good way to identify them, it would be useless by now because of your negligence and stubbornness to protect your name rather than get the shooter arrested and behind bars. That bastard currently in custody? As we speak he probably is getting a fancy lawyer who will have him out on bail by tomorrow morning.”

It’s Liam who finally breaks up their argument.

“Enough! This is going nowhere. Louis, I realize it’s asking a lot out of you but look at it this way. The sooner the detective can find out who is behind the shooting, the sooner perhaps you and Lily can resume a normal life and perhaps then Marcel will be able to come home.”

“I promise you Louis. I will return the letter he left for you as soon as I can. No one else will see it but me.”

Nodding, Louis adjusts his shirt and hands Lily to Harry, standing up carefully before walking out. The housekeeper Lydia was by the stairs and helped him up to the room he would now occupy. It was a different room than before.

“This one is in the family wing. Harry and Edward are right across from you and your room is attached to the nursery for the baby. I’ll show you that later if you’re alright with it. I took the liberty of unpacking your bag and purchased new items for your use. Everything has been put away. The other materials you came with are in the top right drawer of your desk. It has a key lock in it. The key is in the lock and only you have a copy of it. It’s meant for your personal papers and things like that.”

Louis nods, not trusting his voice. He goes to the desk and opens the drawer, withdrawing the envelope with his personal letter before closing and locking it. He pockets the key for now until he figures out where to store it. They slowly make their way back to the living room where the men are at, surprise crossing his features as he sees all four of them surrounding Lily who is in Edward’s arms making gurgling noises as her little arms wave. Her little hat is gone and her little curls are evident along with dimpled cheeks. It makes him forget his own woes for a moment as his little girl effortlessly charms four alphas.

“Does everyone here have baby fever now?”

The four look up, Liam and Zayn looking sheepish. Edward hands her to Louis and guides him to sit again with Lily.

“She’s beautiful Louis. She’s all Styles except her eyes. She has your eyes.”

“Thank you Liam. She’s my world. Zayn, here’s the letter Marcel gave me. I will trust you will return it as soon as possible.”

“I will. Thank you Louis. I’ll be going now. I’ll be in touch.”

“Excuse me sirs?”

The housekeeper Lydia interrupted them and from somewhere behind her they could hear a commotion.

“What’s wrong?”

Before she could answer, a small blonde hurricane made it into the room with a snarl on his face and wrath in his every step. 

No alpha was spared.

With surprising speed and agility, Niall rushed in and aimed a well thrown punch at Zayn’s face. Before anyone could react, he moved and gave another punch to Liam. Turning to the twins, his eyes widen as he sees Marcel but he also doesn’t. Without regret, he throws himself at them catching them off guard. All three of them tumble to the ground with a furious Niall aiming slaps at both their heads and faces. Each punch and slap was punctuated with his fury.

“You...bloody...asshole. YOU. LET. LOUIS. GET. HURT!”

“NIALL! STOP! STOP!”

Niall ignores Louis’ pleas and continues to hit every alpha he can reach who know better than to strike back. It’s only when Lily’s wails reach his ears that he stops, breathing heavy but also feeling guilty he made Louis’ baby cry. Standing up on unsteady legs, he walks by the stunned alphas and goes to sit next to Louis, his face immediately going from wrathful to loving.

“She’s gorgeous Lou! What did you name her?”

“Lily Anne.”

“It’s perfect. May I hold her?”

Louis hands her to his best friend, both ignoring the injured and stunned alphas as they bond over Lily. Both only look up with someone clears their throat. Niall stands in front of Louis as if to protect him from the alphas he has clear contempt for.

“You must be the infamous Niall we’ve heard so much about. How did you get in?”

Niall snorts and rolls his eyes at them.

“Lou invited me to visit. The only reason I’m here early is because I had to hear on the news that someone attacked the mate of the Styles brothers in the hospital earlier today. I got on the first flight out of Dublin and here I am. The flight is less than an hour and a half. I came here because clearly you knotheads can’t take care of my best friend so I have to do it.”

Louis bites his lip to keep from smiling at his always protective friend. Niall’s stance was challenging and he was aggressive as if daring the alphas to contradict him. Instead, Edward tries a different question.

“How did you get past security?”

“Please. You may want to check on the bloke by the gate though. His knot may not work after the kick I delivered. Years of playing footie with Louis gave me an excellent kick.”

All four alphas wince at his statement, all suddenly grateful he just punched them and didn’t try to kick. Zayn breaks the awkwardness by giving his goodbyes and leaves.

“Well? Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Walk with me to my room and I’ll explain everything Niall. Please.”

Nodding, Niall helps Louis walk slowly due to his recovery, growling at Harry and Edward as they move past them. Liam stands stunned, his hand on his cheek wondering what he did to deserve the hit. They say nothing until the omegas and pup are gone from the room.

“What the hell was that?”

“That was Louis’ best friend Niall. He told me he was feisty and an alpha in all but name but I didn’t believe it until now. He packs one hell of a hit.”

All of them rub the various sore spots on their bodies. When Liam leaves, Harry goes to make sure Niall has accommodations close to Louis. He knows Louis will want him near. Edward goes out to speak to the security to find out exactly what Niall did. Clearly there was a weakness in security if the omega could get in so easily.

Back in his room, Niall is rocking Lily as Louis sits with tea in a very comfortable seat and rehashes the long story to Niall who manages to stay silent the entire time. He’s processing everything Louis is telling him as he gets Lily to sleep before placing her gently down on the little bedside bassinet.

“Lou, I don’t even know where to start. How to unpack all this. Let’s leave it be for now. We can discuss it tomorrow. For now, let’s just focus on you, your recovery and your beautiful pup.”

Relieved Niall was alright with postponing the inevitable discussion, Louis instead talks to him about how things were with the twins and their unorthodox relationship.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Back in the station, Zayn sits at his desk and is about to open Louis’ letter when his phone rings.

“Malik speaking.”

He listens for a moment before he yells into the phone and races out of his office. He rushes the jails. By the time he arrives, the medical examiner is there and Zayn is furious. He rushes to the officers in charge of transporting inmates to the jails to ask them what the hell happened. Their responses infuriate him but an icy feeling in the pit of his stomach forms. This was turning out to be much bigger than he had anticipated. He moves off and goes to his car. It’s not until he’s driving away that he dials a number.

“Hello.”

“Edward. It’s Zayn. Is Harry with you?”

“Yes. What’s wrong?”

“Put me on speaker.”

There’s a moment before he hears both brothers.

“Be on the alert. The bastard that tried to kill Louis today was stabbed by another inmate when they were transferring them from our custody and to the jails. The bastard is dead. Someone didn’t want him to talk.”

There’s complete silence before Edward hangs up.

He stares at Harry before they both walk back into the estate. Edward calls the head of their security team to alert him.

“Make sure the alarms are set. All systems are go. As of now. No one enters and no one leaves.”


	12. Tower Hamlets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took longer than expected to update. The holidays, more quarantine and everyday life got the best of me. I am thankful for all your comments and I hope I can get to responding to them again real soon. Thanks again for reading!

There were always places to avoid when in the UK but Tower Hamlets had to take the cake. He hated it here. Marcel was furious he had to slum it here but it was where Frank had told him to meet him. It had been 2 months since he’d entrusted Louis and their pup to his brothers. 2 months of traveling alone, under the radar and consorting with people he would never have bothered to even acknowledge in his previous life. Now these same people were the ones inadvertently protecting him. Since he’d started living life on the fringe, he’d met and befriended hackers, thieves, gangsters and killers. They were people Frank had told him to make contact with. Though Marcel himself was not like them, his penchant for detail and his understanding of higher level math concepts had made him into a go-to bookie for them. It almost made him laugh that Marcel Styles, son of a wealthy and prominent family was now running underground illegal gambling rackets. It was an in and he was taking advantage. He was silent, never gossiped and the ones who ran the underground quickly received word of the bookie who kept his mouth shut and never cheated or skimmed money off of anyone. Little by little he was building up his reputation as he subtly tried to find out anything that could help him track down those responsible for putting a hit out on him. Because he knew that at any given moment things could change, he had deliberately avoided all contact with his brothers and Louis and did not search for them on websites. In fact, he avoided the news altogether for fear someone would see one of his brothers and recognize him. He always wore a beanie, tinted glasses, chinos and polo shirts. It was an odd combination that made him both stand out and blend in. He spoke in short sentences which garnered him a reputation of a man you can trust. He spoke little but saw and heard everything. These important details made it easy for him to wander the streets surrounding Tower Hamlets late at night. He met up with a few of his customers prior to his meeting with Frank. As always, these meetings were done in the shadows as many of his clients didn’t want others knowing their business. They liked knowing that dealing with this particular bookie ensured them relative anonymity, a rarity in the world they inhabited. No one but Marcel knew their debts and Marcel only gave up their names if they failed to pay their debts to the higher ups. 

Now he waited in a dingy alley for his next meet, Frank. It was only a few minutes later that a man approached the alley. Marcel kept an eye on him warily. It wasn’t Frank. As the man got closer, he lit a cigarette before giving him a slight head jerk and walked away. Marel knew it was a signal to follow him. He walks behind the man down the alley until they reach a car parked in a niche between buildings. The man opens the door for Marcel and closes it behind him. For his part, Marcel heaves out a heavy breath when he sees Frank sitting there.

“What have you found for me Frank?”

“Do you want the bad news first or the worst news?”

“Fuck. Just tell me.”

“This goes a little deeper than I anticipated. Ari was found by sheer dumb luck. Someone proposed in a public place. Their pictures went viral. Unfortunately, Ari and Dave happened to be in the background. Someone saw them and alerted our father. He’s not one to take this lightly. He had me start investigating. I gave false trails which gave her and you the opportunity to run. Ari contacted me once so I know they’re safe for now but you guys can’t live your lives constantly looking over your shoulders.”

“Who Frank? What the fuck? Who is after us? Your dad?”

“Yes and no. My father would have willingly let this go and not have such a meltdown and overreaction but while your brother has pulled your family business out of the shit they were into, my father has delved deeper. When he found out Ari was alive and had actually faked her death to escape, it was in front of other associates of his. Specifically one associate who kept insinuating my father was weak for allowing this to happen. For allowing his omega daughter to humiliate him this way. My father made it very public that Ari and Dave were to be found and then he put the notice for you. Since you both allegedly died together, you had to have been part of the whole deal if not the mastermind. There’s no reasoning with him anymore. He’s too far gone and sees this as a very public humiliation. He wants you and Dave dead and I honestly do not know what he plans for Ari.”

“Shit…”

There’s silence now as Marcel ponders how best to proceed. His options are very limited. He’s thinking before Frank breaks his silence again.

“There’s more…”

“Yeah?”

“Whatever you do, do not leave this car. Do not expose yourself. It’s important that you listen to me carefully.”

“What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”

“I’ve been in contact with Edward.”

“Yeah? Are him and Harry taking care of Louis? He’s due soon you know. I had hoped to have this wrapped up before he has our baby.”

“Marcel. Listen to me.”

Frank’s manner and the worry he smells coming off of him starts to make him nervous.

“Frank?”

“The day you left Louis with your brothers, someone was waiting for him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Louis was shot. They must have been staking out your home and waiting for you to return. Instead, they took a shot at Louis. They already knew about you and Louis. Despite the fact that he was pregnant, they tried to kill him.”

Marcel tenses and would have rushed out of the car if not for Frank holding his arm.

“STOP! Listen to me! He’s alive. The shooting had him go into labor early. Your pup was born that day. I’m sorry.”

Frozen in horror, Marcel listens to his worst nightmare coming true.

“What...how are they? How’s Louis and my pup?”

“Your daughter Marcel. Louis gave birth to a girl. She’s ok now. Edward tells me her and Louis spent a month in the hospital.”

For the first time in a long time, Marcel smiles. He’s relieved to hear his mate and pup are find but his happiness is short lived. 

“On the day they were to be released from the hospital, someone tried to suffocate Louis. If not for the detective investigating the case, Louis would be dead. Edward and Harry took him and your pup home that day. They’ve been there for a month now. Safe and secure. Edward and Harry posted additional security around the estate and if Louis has to go anywhere such as the doctor’s office, he has bodyguards and one of your brother’s always goes with him.”

Putting his head in his hands, Marcel groans at how complicated things have become.

“What do we do now? How can we stop this?”

Frank stays silent for a long time before he opens his mouth to say the words he’s been avoiding.

“We have to break up my father’s organization. My father has to go down. Either the police take him down or…”

“Or he dies.”

Nodding, Frank stares out the window before replying to Marcel softly.

“It’s the only way my sister, her mate, your mate and your pup will ever be safe.”

Nodding, Marcel knows Frank speaks the truth. It’s the only way for this to finally be finished. A sudden thought occurs to him.

“Who is the detective investigating this?”

“Hmmm? Oh. Ah...Malik. Detective Zayn Malik. Why?”

Marcel stays quiet as his brain is rapidly processing his next steps.

“Marcel? What are you thinking of doing? Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I need to talk to him.”

“What? Marcel! If you do that, you’re putting yourself out in the open.”

“Maybe that’s what I need to do. Let them shift the target to me instead of Louis and my pup. They’re trying to find me and going after Louis. He’s been hurt twice now because of me. That ends now.”

“Fuck. Alright. I see your point and get what you mean. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my omega and pups if I had any. I’ll be in touch. Stay here working the underground. You can find out my father’s movements and hear rumors which may be to your advantage. I’ll see what I can do on my end about keeping a false trail for you and Ari.”

“Thanks Frank.”

Leaving the car, Marcel walks out of the alley and leaves to his small flat. He doesn’t get much sleep. He has too much going on and too much on his mind to get a lot of rest. In the morning, he goes to a nearby diner for breakfast and coffee. He keeps his head low as he usually does and listens, not interacting with anyone. When he deems it a suitable time, he leaves and does his morning rounds while his mind is already several steps ahead. When he’s well away from the burrough and away from prying ears, he googles something on his phone before he places a few calls. It takes a while before he has the right number. Dialing, he waits for someone to pick up.

“Malik here.”

“Detective Malik, I believe I can help you with the case of the attempted murder of Louis Tomlinson.”

Back in his office, Zayn sits up, curious about this call.

Thirty minutes later, he’s opening his door to a man with strikingly familiar face and eyes but everyone thought dead. 

“Marcel Styles, I presume?”

“Yes.”

Entering his office, Marcel sits and proceeds to tell Zayn everything he knows.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Why did Zayn tell us to come meet him?”

“He didn’t say much Harry. He said we needed to come to his office because he had some important information regarding the case but he couldn’t come to us and he couldn’t say it over the phone.”

Edward and Harry had been summoned by Zayn to his office and after making sure Louis and Lily were safe at the estate with security, the bodyguards and his feisty best friend Niall, they’d set out. Once reaching the station, they enter and go directly to the office belonging to Zayn. Knocking, they open the door when Zayn’s voice tells them to enter. At first, all they see is Zayn and a man with his back to them wearing a dark grey beanie. The man stands and turns to look at them, shock going through them as they see the familiar but tired and stressed out face of their brother.


	13. Sunflower

“So where’d your alphas go?”

Louis looks up in surprise at Niall’s comment expecting it to be a joke but to his shock, Niall had a serious expression on his face as he gently burped Lily.

“Cat got your tongue there Lou? It was a simple question. Where’d your alphas go?”

Shaking his head, Louis frowns at Niall’s words.

“Ummm...Zayn called them and wanted them to meet him in his office. And what do you mean by calling them my alphas?”

“Why didn’t Zayn come here? Are they going to tell you why he wanted to see them?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I was too busy bathing Lily to pay much attention. All I heard was them telling me they were going to Zayn’s, not to leave the estate and that they’d call me as soon as they were done. Now stop deflecting. Why are you calling them my alphas?”

Niall doesn’t respond. He just raises his eyebrows at the obvious stupidity of Louis’ question.

“What? Niall. Explain. You know Marcel is my alpha. Harry and Edward are his brothers. They’re family.”

Niall still doesn’t respond other than to give Louis a look. Louis knows that look well. It’s his ‘Don’t bullshit me and don’t lie to yourself’ look.

“Come off it Niall. Why would you even think that?”

Niall gently places Lily on her baby bassinet knowing that the small comfortable space will keep her asleep. When he finally sits, it’s directly across from Louis.

“Louis. Come off it. Those two are arse over tits crazy about you. Tell me you don’t see it.”

Louis just shakes his head in denial.

“You’re wrong. They’re completely besotted with Lily and protective over me because I’m family now. We’ve bonded as family. They care for me and I care for them. You have the wrong idea Niall.”

“No. I’m pretty sure I have the right idea. You three are just in denial and being stupid about it. Don’t shake your head at me Lou. I get that they took you and Lily in after everything that happened. Perhaps it was a misplaced sense of guilt considering you were hurt under their care but now? They went out of their to hire extra security and bodyguards. It’s downright harder to get to you and Lily than it is to get to the queen.”

“That doesn’t prove or mean anything.”

“Let me finish. Harry goes out of his way to make sure you are eating healthy. He talks to the cook daily to set up appropriate meal plans for you. He has no qualms discussing with the cook what foods are best to give you so that your milk is optimal for Lily. You made a comment a week ago about losing the last of your baby weight so he talked to the cook about making slight changes in meals so that you can still eat healthy while nursing Lily. He quit his bloody job for you Lou! He said he’d feel better knowing he’s home with you during the day until this is all over with but come on. This place is practically a fortress. You have bodyguards and so much security, anyone would be a fool to try and get in here yet he chooses to stay home to entertain you and give you a break when you need them. And Edward? How many times a week does he bring you home gifts?”

Now Louis is blushing. He was well aware of everything Harry had done for him and was still doing but having it pointed out made him uncomfortable.

“Edward brings you little things he picks up not just for Lily but for you. Different books to read, flowers to cheer you up when you’re feeling cooped up, those bizarre puzzles you like to do. Both him and Edward take turns with you at night with Lily. They don’t have to but they do so you’re always well rested. When Harry suggested you pump so that one of them could take a shift and let you get some sleep, it never occurred to you that you kept on doing it because you liked them taking on the role of father for Lily since Marcel is not here? And don’t think I haven’t noticed that more often than not you’re wearing their sweaters.”

Niall eyes Louis meaningfully and sure enough, he’s wearing a dark blue one belonging to Edward. His face is flaming red at Niall’s words but he still can’t speak because Niall won’t let him.

“And you. You don’t even realize how you are around them. If I were an outsider, I’d assume they were both your alphas based on how you interact. I know you’re not flirting but you’re maternal with Lily and something else with them. It’s different than what you had with Marcel but do you remember your early days with Marcel? The teasing, the jokes and the shy looks? You give those to Harry and Edward. Louis, I’m not saying any of this to freak you out or to hurt you but you have to be realistic. Somewhere along the way during this time you stopped looking at them as Marcel’s brothers and you started to see them as men in their own right. Successful attractive men that see you as their omega. They may not even realize it yet either but you’re not Marcel’s mate anymore. You’re an omega they have feelings for.”

Tears are not rolling down Louis’ cheeks as he accepts Niall’s words. He knew he was right but admitting it was so difficult. He feels Niall’s arm go around his shoulder in a gentle side hug.

“It’s alright Lou. You’re allowed to feel for them. They’ve been extraordinarily good for you and Lily and you’re good for them. What you three decide to do is up to you.”

“I just feel like shit. I feel like I’m cheating on Marcel. I’m so angry with him but I still love him. He’s the father of our pup and he doesn’t even know she exists yet. He’s yet to see her and meet her. I see Lily’s face when she sees Harry and Edward. When she hears their voices. She reacts to them because her instincts are telling her that they’re her fathers. Fuck Niall. What if I made a big mistake coming here and letting this happen?”   
“Lou. I’m going to ask you something and I need you to really think about it. Don’t reply yet because you won’t have the answers. They’re triplets. Twins and triplets and multiples in general have a unique bond that is still a mystery to researchers. Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps Marcel sent you to them knowing full well that you three developing feelings for each other was a high possibility? It’s very, VERY rare for twins or triplets to mate and bond with different people. What are the percentages? Something like 99% of them bond the same person. Marcel isn’t stupid. He would have known this.”

Silence.

Neither of them speak anymore after Niall’s comment. Niall has said what he wanted to say and Louis has too much to think about. They’re interrupted by the sound of someone calling for Louis.

“I think that’s Edward. Let’s go down and see what the fuss was about.”

Niall takes the baby monitor so they can listen in on Lily as she sleeps and they quietly leave the room.

“Edward? Harry?”

“In here.”

Louis and Niall move into the kitchen where they’re both sitting, a large charcuterie board between them. Sitting at the large counter with them, Louis and Niall reach out and take some of the snacks while waiting for someone to speak. 

“Well? You two knobs left without giving any hints as to what was going on. What did Zayn want?”

Edward shrugs before answering.

“He was giving us an update on the case. He has an inside man currently digging up information on who was behind the hit.”

Both Louis and Niall straighten up at this news.

“An inside man? You mean someone that may know who set it up?”

“It’s possible. Even probably. Zayn knows more than he says but for investigation reasons, he doesn’t give away too much. He did say his man was going underground to find out more but he’d update us as much and often as he can.”

“That’s good news isn’t it?”

Louis looks back and forth between the brothers. Something wasn’t right. Both of them were tense and clearly ill at ease. It’s Harry who finally responds.

“It’s just hard to trust an outsider with something this important. We trust Zayn and he trusts his informant but not having this be in our control is a little hard to swallow.”

“That’s understandable for everyone involved. I’ve watched enough crime shows to know that the police always protect their sources but I also know how difficult it is to just stand idly by and not be able to do something.”

He reaches out, squeezing Harry’s arm and then Edward’s, ignoring Niall’s pointed look. They’re interrupted by a sudden wail coming from the baby monitor. Edward jumps up quicker than Harry and leaves the room. Harry pouts while Louis and Niall laugh. It’s only a few minutes later that Edward returns with Lily in his arms and wearing a new outfit.

“Lou? The bedding in her bassinet needs to be changed and I don’t know if the outfit she was wearing can be salvaged.”

Sighing, Louis gets up to deal with the damage done from a diaper explosion while Harry laughs outright and gets up to fetch her a bottle. He puts it in the bottle warmer, humming while Edward talks to Lily in a soft voice. It’s as if they forget Niall is in the room who observes them quietly before deciding to be forthright with them.

“What are your intentions towards Louis?”

Both alphas turn to look at him in surprise.

“It’s a simple question. You both dote on him and Lily. Don’t tell me it’s strictly because he’s your brother’s mate. That’s bullshit and we all know it. So I’m asking you again. What are your intentions towards Louis?”

“That’s none of your business Niall.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. He’s my family as much as he is yours and I won’t stand by and see him get hurt. Your brother broke his fucking heart by lying to him and basically abandoning him to brother’s Louis didn’t even know existed. Now he’s as attached to you as you are to him so tread carefully. You hurt Lou and I’ll rip off both your knots and shove them down the garbage disposal.”

Satisfied that he got his point across, Niall walks away leaving both brothers in shock and reeling from the truly disturbing mental picture Niall had left them with. 

Later that night, Harry is in bed playing on his phone as Edward joins him fresh out of the shower.

“Eddie?”

“Hmmm…”

“Have you thought about what Niall said?”

“What about it?”

“Come on. Do you have feelings for Lou?”

Edward just shrugs, a habit he has when he feels uncomfortable.

“You do!”

“Jesus Harry. He’s our brother’s mate.”

“So? He’s still an omega. An attractive omega with a delicious scent and a curvy body that screams fuck me and fertility and oh shit what am I saying?”

Now it’s Edward’s turn to smirk.

“I guess you have your answer to what you feel for Lou.”

“But it’s wrong isn’t it?”

Again Edward shrugs but his expression is thoughtful.

“No...not really.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Just...maybe Louis wouldn’t be opposed to us courting him.”

“Jesus Edward. Courting an omega is one thing. Courting our brother’s mate? Fuck. Can we do that?”

“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing anyway?”

Harry stays quiet as he starts to think back at all the little things they do for Louis and with him. In any normal relationship, this would be seen as courtship. 

“Fuck…”

“So technically we’re already courting him. We just didn’t know it and he probably doesn’t know it either.”

“So what now?”

“Nothing. We do nothing. Until Marcel is free and can come home, we do not mess around or indulge in anything with his omega. That’s not who we are Harry. We won’t take advantage of Louis that way.”

"When do we tell him about Marcel?"

"We don't. Marcel asked us to say nothing. I don't like it but it makes sense. To tell Louis that Marcel is nearby and that he's the underground informant would only cause him more stress. We do nothing right now Harry. We don't tell about Marcel and we don't disrespect his bond with Louis."

Harry doesn't respond. He simply puts his phone to charge silently and turns around to get to sleep. He knows Edward is right but he can’t stop the pang of disappointment he feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not! The conversation between the brothers will take place in the next chapter. It's a Marcel POV chapter with the insights into what happened in Zayn's office.


	14. A Kiss in the Dark

It was the wail of a cry that woke Louis. Turning to his side, he reaches for the baby monitor on the nightstand and turns it off. It’s his turn to get Lily. He stumbles out of bed, almost tripping on the tangle of sheets as he makes his way to her nursery. He loved that it was attached to his bedroom while also having a separate entrance for when Harry or Edward took a turn with her so he could sleep uninterrupted. Her crying turns to outright screaming making him rush wondering what was wrong. When he reaches her crib, her screams immediately muffle down to little whimpers and cries. Her cheeks are red and she’s drooling excessively. He sits on the rocker and props his feet up on the little ottoman in front of it and tries to nurse her but she’s not having it. It’s only then that he realizes her gums look swollen and red.

“Teething. Of course.”

Sighing, he gets up and fetches a small wash towel from the bathroom and rinses it in cool water. He then places the edge of it into her lips and watches as she gnaws on the rag to ease the pain from her swollen gums. He thought it was a little early for her to be teething but alpha babies were notorious for reaching milestones far earlier than their omega and beta counterparts. He returns to the nursery and sits in the rocker and watches as Lily continues to gnaw on the cold rag. She finally spits it out and makes baby babble sounds as he gently laughs and takes it away from her and repositions her to nurse. It’s always a special moment for him as he nurses his baby and for a moment, he feels sadness and a longing to have his mate there with him. Marcel has missed out so much already and all the little milestones Lily has reached have been accomplished under the watchful eyes of his brothers instead.

As she nurses, he begins to rock her gently and sing.

  
  


_ Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly _

_ Lavender's green _

_ When I am king, dilly, dilly _

_ You shall be queen: _

_ Who told you so, dilly, dilly _

_ Who told you so? _

_ 'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly _

_ That told me so. _

Lily unlatches as Louis continues to sing. He continues singing as he shifts to burp her and keeps his voice low so as not to wake her.

_ Lavender's green, dilly, dilly _

_ Lavender's blue _

_ If you love me, dilly, dilly _

_ I will love you _

Once he’s sure she’s asleep, he gets up quietly and takes her back to her crib. He keeps his hand on her as he sings a bit more to be assured she stays asleep.

_ Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly _

_ And the lambs play _

_ We shall be safe, dilly, dilly _

_ Out of harm's way _

_ I love to dance, dilly, dilly _

_ I love to sing _

_ When I am queen, dilly, dilly _

_ You'll be my king: _

_ Who told me so, dilly, dilly _

_ Who told me so? _

_ I told myself, dilly, dilly _

_ I told me so _

When the last notes fade, Louis sighs and straightens up to return to his room only to notice he’s not alone. Standing there by the door is Harry. For a long moment they simply stare at each other before Louis moves away from the crib just as Harry also moves forward. When they reach each other, they just continue to stare at each other before Harry forgets his promise to Edward. He places his hand on Louis’ chin, tipping it up before he bends slightly and kisses Louis.

Louis would like to say he’s surprised but he wasn’t. He had sometimes wondered what it would be like to kiss the brothers and now he had his first taste of Harry. He kisses Harry back, allowing Harry to breach into his mouth with his tongue. Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s neck and moans into the kiss as Harry pulls him closer.   
“Huh. I wondered how long you’d dance around this. I didn’t think you’d do it in Lily’s nursery.”

They break apart at the sound of Niall’s voice. Both turn to look at him as he watches with an unreadable expression on his face. Louis takes a step back before rushing out of the nursery and back to his own bedroom. Harry remains frozen in place as Niall looks at him.

“So are you going to steal away your brother’s omega or are you going to do the right thing and court him as he deserves?”

Harry looks up at Niall in shock but Niall has had his say. He leaves the nursery and returns to his room. He has plenty to say to Louis but it can wait until the morning.

Harry remains in the nursery for a moment longer before returning to his room and breathes a sigh of relief that Edward is still asleep.

In the morning, Edward gets ready for work without realizing anything was amiss. Harry remains asleep as Edward goes downstairs for breakfast. He smiles when he sees Niall in the kitchen with Lily in her little bouncer kicking her legs.

“Where’s Lou?”

“I let him have a little lie-in while the little missy and I bond over breakfast. She’s teething and had a rough night.”

“Oh poor thing. I’ll call her doctor and see what we can give her to help her with that.”

“That’s a good idea. Make sure it’s safe for her and perhaps Louis can get some sleep. He was up a lot with her. Harry too.”

Edward looks up in surprise at Niall’s comment.

“Harry was up too? I didn’t hear Lily at all. That’s strange.”

“You’ve worked long hours and are dealing with the mess your missing brother left. It’s only natural you’d fall into a deep sleep and not hear anything when exhaustion hits. Yeah Harry was up to help with Lily. And Lou.”

Edward nods in understanding. He accepts the toast and scrambled eggs Niall hands him and sits at the table while tickling Lily who keeps making her baby sounds. Niall watches them with an amused expression but his mind is racing a mile a minute. Edward had no idea what had transpired between Louis and Harry and Niall was shrewd enough to realize he wouldn’t be happy about the development and he was aware enough to know that neither Louis nor Harry would bring it up except under duress so it was up to him to let the cat out of the bag.

“Since you’re here, mind keeping an eye on her while I go get dressed? I’ll be back in 15.”

“Sure, sure. Go ahead. Lily and I are fine right here aren’t we sweetheart?”

Edward continues to make faces at her as she smiles and kicks her legs, secure in her little bouncer.

“Good. Thanks. And if your brother comes down, tell him I’d like a word with him about him making out with Louis last night.”

“Yes, of course. Wait. WHAT?”

Niall doesn’t reply to him as he walks out, satisfied that Edward would handle Harry and Niall himself would handle Louis. He rushes to his room to shower quickly and dress. While he does that, Edward stares blindly at Lily before picking her up and walking to the master bedroom. When he reaches it, he sees Harry is stirring. When he rolls on his back, his eyes pop open and he smiles sleepily when he sees Edward holding Lily.

“Morning Eddie. And good morning to you sweetpea.”

He reaches his arms out hoping Edward hands the baby over to him but instead Edward glares at him.

“Did you kiss Louis?”

Harry slowly straightens, his amusement gone as he looks at his rather intense brother.

“I asked you a question Harry. Did you kiss Louis? After what we talked about! After what I told you! You went ahead and ignored me and did what you wanted!”

“It’s not like that Edward!”

“Then what was it Harry? You tripped, fell and landed on his lips? You know what? I don’t have time for this shit. You know it’s wrong to go behind our brother’s back and go after his omega. We never discussed it with Marcel so we don’t have the right to do this.”

Harry looks down at the sheets pooled around his waist. He knows Edward is right but he also feels it deep within him that Louis is theirs as well. He flinches when he hears the door slam as Edward leaves the room with Lily in his arms. He rushes to dress and get downstairs but when he finally makes it down, Edward is gone with only Niall and Lily in the kitchen. 

“Edward left?”

“He did. Looked downright angry if you ask me.”   
“You told him.”

“I did.”

“Why? Are you always this meddlesome?”

“Harry? Niall? What’s wrong?”

Both turn to see a sleepy Louis standing at the entrance to the kitchen with a confused expression on his face. It quickly turns to a smile when he sees Lily wide awake and content.   
‘“So are you going to tell me why you’re calling Niall names?”

“Oh, he’s mad at me for telling Edward that I caught you two making out last night.”

Louis slowly straightens, his face going pale as he stares at Niall.

“What...Why? Why would you do that?”

“Why shouldn’t I have told him? It’s his home in case you’ve forgotten and you’re his brother’s mate and that’s technically his niece.”   
“It wasn’t his business or yours!”   
“Oh. So we’re keeping secrets now? Let me get this straight. You make out with your mate’s brother behind his back while also trying to keep his other brother from finding out. And yet somehow I’m the one in the wrong? Figure out what it is you want but stop acting like horny teenagers. What happens when Marcel returns? You return to your old life as if Harry and Edward don’t exist? You pretend you don’t have feelings for each other? Or do you move on from Marcel and stay with his brothers? Either you’re faithful to your mate or you cut your losses and move on. You can’t have it both ways Lou.”

With a snort, Niall walks out of the room. Louis runs a hand through his hair and sits at the table, his mind going in so many directions. He wants to be angry with Niall but he knows that would only be him deflecting. Niall had been warning him of this happening and always perceptive, Niall had known Louis would act on emotions rather than logic and practicality. When Harry moves to sit with him, Louis puts up a hand to stop Harry.

“Can you just...I don’t know. I need to be alone right now. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me Harry, I really do but I have to think.”

Harry nods, unsure of what he can say or do. He wants to blame Niall but he knows this is on him. Edward warned him and he’d acted out of impulse and hormones rather than accepting that the timing was just shit. He gets up to go and give Louis the privacy he so desires. Alone, Louis picks up Lily and takes her back to her nursery. That’s the only place where he knows he can be alone without interruptions.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“What do you have for me Marcel?”

“Unsure just yet. Just rumors I’m hearing.”

“Oh?”

“There’s a fight tonight. Underground. Word is some big players are going to be there.”

“Big players as in bosses?”

“Not quite. Their hitmen. My clients are going apeshit over this. Half of them are desperate to avoid the fights and go out of town and the other half can’t wait because when these men show up, the stakes go higher and the money is insane. I’m not even sure why. I don’t ask questions but I’ve got a feeling.”

“I don’t know Marcel. It sounds sketchy.”

“Zayn, if I don’t show, it looks worse. I’m the one guy these distrustful assholes can actually tolerate and trust with their money. I have to be there.”

“Fuck. Alright. Just be careful. Call me when it’s safe to do so.”

They end the call and Marcel is careful to wipe his burner phone clean before breaking it in half and tossing the pieces away in different dumpsters. He’s learned to be so cautious. He feels the angst of being unable to see his mate and daughter but consoles himself with the memory of the pictures Harry had shown him. Once he’d gotten over his anger and Edward had punched him. He’d deserved their anger and the punch but even now the memory had him rubbing his jaw ruefully. Perhaps soon this would all be over but in the meantime, he needed to go get ready for the fight that evening. His instincts were humming. He knew that something important was going to happen that evening. He couldn’t explain it but perhaps this was finally the start to finishing out this mess he had landed himself in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I took a month to update! I feel terrible. Work, the holidays and a terribly timed cold knocked me for a loop but thankfully things are finally easing up and I can resume my normal posting schedule.
> 
> Thanks for the lovely comments and for sticking with me despite the slowness of my recent updates. I'll get better, promise!


	15. Severed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest apologies for taking so long to update and I'm really sorry this chapter is so short but you'll see why when you read it. It's setting up for the action and eventual resolution to the story.  
> Thanks for reading! And thank you for commenting!

The lights were on the dim side, the floor was sticky and filthy while the stench of beer, body odor, piss and cigarettes hung in the air. The place itself was the kind of place you avoided at all costs unless you had absolutely no choice but to be there. The patrons themselves were the kinds of alphas and betas you’d see on prison specials on TV. The omegas looked cheap, tired and gave off an air of just not caring. Their job was to serve drinks, wear tacky and impossibly tight revealing outfits and for the right price, go to a dim corner or bathroom to get someone off or a quick blowjob.

Marcel hated it immediately. He also knew he looked sorely out of place in his black trousers, button down shirt and jacket with a newsboy cap on his head. He looked exactly as he wanted to appear. A nerdy money guy who is not intimidating in the least. He carries his handy notebook though all the names and numbers are committed to memory and the pages are written in a code he came up with should the notebook be lost. He casually walks to the bar for a bottle of water for he was known to not be a drinker and this fact was much appreciated by the people who trusted him with their money. He waits by the bar, content to linger in the shadows until he’s summoned. He keeps his eyes constantly moving. The cap hides his eyes and most people are used to him so he’s largely ignored. Sure he’s not the only money guy there but he doesn’t deal with the small time guys. He only does business with the big names. Pure luck and coincidence had brought him there but now these same guys could be the key to helping him regain his life. He watches with bored detachment as the first fight is announced, set to begin in the next 15 minutes. Though his body language betrays nothing, he feels the jagged edge of anxiety starting to roll through. Where were the players that were supposed to be here? He casually drinks his water as he looks around one more time, eyes ever watchful as he notes the security at the entrance and various exit points. With only 5 minutes left before the first of three fights is set to begin, a sudden hush permeates the room. Marcel immediately notices that many in the crowd are purposely avoiding looking at the entrance while only a few brave (or possibly stupid) ones look around before he sees their eyes widening and immediate attempt to pretend they didn’t see anyone. Though Marcel doesn’t look up from his position, he’s aware that his patience paid off. The anticipated guests had arrived. He doesn’t see them join the crowd so he immediately knows they must have been escorted to one of the private rooms upstairs where they could watch but not have to mingle with the rest of the crowd. It’s less than a minute later than a burly alpha steps up to him and gives him a single nod, a signal Marcel is all too aware means that he’s being summoned. He casually sets his water bottle back on the bartop and follows the alpha towards a set of stairs that will lead to the upstairs rooms. When they reach a large double door, the alpha knocks twice before opening the door. Marcel enters the room and makes no sound. He merely stands silently as the four alphas look at him with their cold dead eyes.

Hitmen.

All of them.

And all of them worked for Ari’s father.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Edward sighs as he steps out of the shower. The past few days had been brutal. Digging discreetly through the company files and the records his father’s shoddy records were painting a bleak picture. The company had been in financial trouble years before and rather than cutting down, selling parts of their holdings or even declaring bankruptcy, Edward had found that his father along with Ari’s father (who had faced similar financial ruin) had turned to organized crime syndicates and in exchange for helping dig them out of their financial holes, they’d offered up their businesses as fronts and had helped with everything from money laundering to smuggling and as much as it pained him, they’d dabbled in human trafficking of omegas. The more he dug, the angrier he became. He’d yet to tell this to Harry and he knew he’d have to bring it up to Zayn but he was trying desperately to avoid that moment until he had no other choice. Digging further had him finding out that Ari’s father had made more deals than his own father and had made plenty of bad financial choices. When his own father had finally managed to pay back the money he’d owed, he’d learned that pulling away had been next to impossible. He’d learned that once you got into bed with these types of people, you were metaphorically fucked for the rest of your life. Himself, Harry, Marcel and Ari had all been pawns in their parents games and now Marcel was taking the brunt of trying to unravel the mess their parents had left them in. Ari’s father was still neck deep with these people who had yet to approach Edward or Harry for reasons unknown. Ari’s father knew they were alive and had twice now gone after Lou. Marcel had insisted he didn’t know why they’d target Lou only. It made no sense to any of them. Lou was innocent in all this but until Ari’s father was taken down and whatever debt he had towards these people was paid off, Lou and Lily and Marcel would not be safe.

Edward and Zayn were frantically trying to piece the mystery but every time they thought they got a handle on things, something else went wrong. 

That’s what had him on edge. 

Zayn had called him and told him about what Marcel was doing that evening. The illegal underground fights where some of the scariest alphas known to man were gathering. Zayn had told him something was going down soon for these men to all be at the same place at the same time and Marcel was walking into their den unarmed. 

Fuck.

He felt jittery and stressed.

He dresses quickly when he’s interrupted by a soft knock on the door to the bedroom. Opening it, he’s surprised to see a nervous Louis.

“Hey. Is everything ok? Where’s Lily?”

“Oh, yeah. Ummm. She’s fine. She’s with Harry and Niall in the nursery. You got a minute? I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sure. Do you wanna go somewhere else? Or is this ok?”

“Here’s fine. I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for not pressuring me or being angry with me after what happened with Harry. Niall was right. It’s too soon for me to be making any of these decisions and it’s not fair to have you both have these expectations and put your lives on hold for me.”

“That’s not what we’re doing Lou. We agreed. Until things get resolved with Marcel, we can wait and go from there.”

“But you’ve both stepped up to be fathers for Lily and that’s not something I can ever repay.”

“We’re not looking for you to pay us back Lou. Regardless of what happens, we’re family.”

They’re interrupted by the door opening and Harry coming in with a slightly suspicious orange stain on the shoulder of his shirt. Harry freezes as Louis stifles a laugh. Edward just outright starts laughing at Harry.

“Let me guess. Lily’s dinner of steamed carrots didn’t sit well and ended up on you.”

Harry blushes as he nods and takes off his shirt, the smell of carrot spit-up faint but present in the bedroom. Louis suddenly realizes this is the first time he’s been in the brother’s bedroom where their combined scents are strong and heady. How had he never noticed it before? The tension in the room goes up as both Edward and Harry come to that sudden realization at the same time as Louis. Without thinking, Edward takes a step towards Louis, his hand going on Louis' waist as Harry joins him. They’re acting on instinct, both wanting Louis and Louis tilting his head, presenting his neck to them, the side not bearing Marcel’s mark. Louis scent fills their nostrils, sweet and mixed with the faint whiff of arousal. 

Without warning, the three are hit with a sudden sharp pain that causes Louis to double over in pain as he screams. The pain of it takes Harry’s breath away as he clutches his head. Edward lets out a growl as he too is blinded by sudden pain. It’s Louis’ scream that forces him and Harry to reach out and hold on to him as they all gasp from the sudden and unexpected pain. There’s a sudden rush of air as Niall bursts into the room with a wailing Lily who is screaming hysterically. 

“What? What the fuck? What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

Louis looks up with tear filled eyes. He looks at Edward and Harry who also know what just happened. It’s Edward who manages to answer through gasping breaths.

“It’s Marcel. Something’s wrong. He just severed the bond between us all.”

He barely notices Niall’s shocked gasp as Louis slumps forward, dropping from the shock and pain of his mate severing their bond.


End file.
